I Can't Forget What You've Forgotten
by legend.of.lola
Summary: Axel and Xestra have a secret relating to their past lives as Somebodies, but, because Xestra can't remember anything, it's up to Axel to remind her.
1. A Bad Dream

_**Chapter One~** **A Bad Dream**_

____I wake up, it's a bad dream,  
____No one on my side,  
_____I was fighting  
______But I just feel too tired  
_______to be fighting._

_~A Bad Dream, Keane_

* * *

The sign in front of Xestra read 'Traverse Town', but that didn't help her.

She still didn't know where she was, or where she had been, or even where she was going.

The last thing she remembered was the pain she felt, and the darkness that consumed her. She couldn't feel the pain now, though.

As she walked around the town, she felt nothing at all. She sat down on a nearby bench and tried to remember, if there was anything to remember at all.

She closed her eyes and saw a few faded images:

A man in a black coat, who told her in a deep voice that her name was Xestra. He reached out his hand, offering to give her what she was missing.

Before she could respond, the man disappeared, and taking his place were a background of flames and a pair of bright green eyes filled with concern.

In their silence they beckoned her to find them. She tried to cry out to them, to ask them where they were, but only silence escaped her lips.

The eyes faded away, leaving Xestra to feel suddenly alone. After that, she couldn't remember anything but wandering around mindlessly.

The pain she should've felt didn't come. She just felt hallow. It was a hallow she couldn't put into words. All she could do was sit and endure it.

She leaned over a bit and noticed something was around her neck. She grabbed it and examined it closely. It looked like a very long key on a chain. She had no knowledge of what it was, or how she had gotten it.

Everything seemed overwhelming to her. She was about to get up when a boy with brown hair came into her view. He was followed by a duck wearing a blue outfit holding some kind of wand, and a tall dog wearing green carrying a shield.

He looked in Xestra's direction and walked over. He stopped when he reached her.

"Hello there," he said cheerfully.

She stared up at him, half from confusion and half because she wasn't sure what he wanted.

"Um, right, so I was wondering if you've seen a guy about this tall," he said, standing on his tip-toes and motioning with his hands above his head. "With a big scar on his face, and brown hair…big sword…"

Xestra continued to stare up at him, unable to speak.

He suddenly reached for the key on her neck. "Where did you get this?" he asked in a curious voice.

She paused and took a deep breath before she spoke. "I don't know…" she said quietly.

He held out his hand and suddenly a bigger version of her key appeared in his hand. "I have one, too."

She looked at the ground, and avoided eye contact with him. "I haven't seen him," she said, answering his question from before. She didn't want him to pry her more on the subject about the key, because she didn't know anything about it.

The key in his hand disappeared. "Oh…well, thanks anyway, I guess," he said, rubbing the back of his head in disappointment. "I'm Sora by the way."

He held out his hand for a hand shake, but as Xestra tried the same, the giant key from before appeared in her hand.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed, jumping back in surprise. "Hey, your necklace disappeared!"

Xestra felt her neck for the key, but it was just as he said: it was gone, and she realized the thing in her hand was her key.

"That's so cool! How did you do that!?"

"I…don't know…what is this…?" Xestra managed to ask.

"It's a Keyblade," Sora explained.

"Key…blade? Like…a sword?"

"Yeah, you use it for battling heartless."

"Heartless?" Xestra was being bombarded with so many new things.

Sora paused to see if she would claim she was joking but when all he received was a blank stare, he thought about how to explain. "Well…see…"

"Gawrsh, do you think she's serious?" the dog asked, speaking up for the first time.

The duck next to him shook his head. "She can't be…"

"No, I think she is," Sora said. "Heartless are these creatures that steal people's hearts. They're little black shadows…"

As Sora was explaining this, he was making little gestures with his body to help with his explanation.

Xestra nodded in understanding, though she only slightly understood what he was talking about. She pointed the Keyblade at him. "So, I would use this to…hit them? What for?"

"To defeat them. And stop them from taking people's hearts."

"Why do they need hearts?"

Sora paused to think. "They don't have ones, so they collect them to get ones for themselves…"

Xestra stayed silent, taking this all in. She looked at the Keyblade in her hand. _They don't have hearts…?_

"I haven't seen any…" Xestra said as her Keyblade disappeared and turned back into a necklace on her neck.

The dog leaned to the duck. "So, which Keyblade wielder do we follow?"

The duck shrugged.

"Hey!" Sora exclaimed, turning to them. "You guys are already willing to ditch me?!"

"We didn't mean that!" the duck protested.

Sora gave them a long, hard stare, and then they all started laughing.

Xestra failed to see what was funny. Sora looked back at her and smiled. "So, what is your name?"

"I'm…Xestra…nice to meet you, Sora," she said.

"Oh, and this is Donald," Sora said, introducing the duck, before pointing to the dog. "And Goofy."

Goofy took off his small hat in a gentleman-like gesture and shook Xestra's hand. "Nice to meetcha!"

Donald crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

Sora leaned to Xestra. "Don't mind Donald, he's always in a hurry," he said with a teasing roll of his eyes.

"Hey!" Donald protested.

Sora and Goofy laughed as Donald fumed.

Xestra stood in amazement as they laughed, unsure of why they kept laughing. She didn't find anything funny, so why did they?

"Anyway, where are you off to?" Sora asked once he and Goofy were done laughing.

Xestra hesitated, knowing she should've left before it got this far. But something about this boy made her feel…happy? No. But something close.

"I'm…not sure. I think I'm looking for someone," she said, remembering the green eyes from her memory. They had to belong to someone she knew. Maybe they could help her?

"You think?" Sora asked. "You're not sure?"

"It's…complicated…" was all Xestra could say.

"Well…who are you looking for?"

"I…don't know…" Xestra looked down at her feet at a loss. She didn't know how she would go about looking for them. "All I know is they have green eyes and something to do with flames…"

"Green eyes and flames, huh? Any other details?"

Xestra looked up at him, and noticed he was deeply thinking about it. Like…he actually cared. She had to decide if she could trust him with the only memories she had, and, after reading his completely innocent face, she decided she could. "Yeah…but it was almost like a dream…the green eyes appeared after a man in a black coat disappeared…"

"Black coat? Could you see his face?"

Xestra shook her head. "It's not a lot to go off of, I know…"

It was Sora's turn to shake his head. "That's a lot. I have to go to a lot of different worlds, because I'm looking for someone, too. Actually, three people. So, I'll keep an eye out for something that could help, and come back to find you."

His voice was so kind and convincing, he could've told her anything and she'd believe it. He gave her a little spark of hope.

"Thank you…" she muttered. "I'll be easy to find."

Sora smiled. "Even if you weren't, I'd come look for you," he assured her. "You should give your Keyblade a try, see if you can master it."

Xestra looked up at him and nodded. "I'll help you by doing that. I'll defeat Heartless wherever I go," she promised.

"Good, then we have a deal!" Sora said, putting out his pinkie.

Xestra hooked her pinkie on his. "Deal."

"I'll see you around, Xestra. Good luck!"

"Good luck to you, too."

Sora, Donald and Goofy waved and walked away, leaving Xestra with her thoughts.

She looked at her hand again and the Keyblade appeared.

_Who am I?_

* * *

"Tell me again what she looked like," the man in the black coat said to the other man in the black coat.

"Long black hair, bright blue eyes…her name is Xestra, Axel. From what I gathered she was not a new nobody. She had not had contact with anyone when Xemnas found her. But it was a while ago," the other man replied, obviously irritated at his persistence.

"Why am I just finding out about this now, then? That has to be her, Saïx."

The other man removed his hood, revealing his long blue hair and an X across his face. "You do not know that."

"But I have to at least try!" he exclaimed, taking off his own hood so he could look at Saïx in the eye. His red, spiky hair stood up and his eyes burned with fire. "Where was she?"

"That is none of your concern."

Axel sighed and laughed a little to himself. "Why am I asking you? I already knew you wouldn't tell me."

"Tell me, why do you '_care'_ so much?"

Axel glared at him. "You wouldn't understand."

With that Axel left the room.

He was fuming, and had to come up with some way to have contact with this girl, if she was indeed the one he had been looking for.

_Please let it be her…_

_~*~_


	2. Squeaking Wheels and White Light

**_Chapter Two~ Squeaking Wheels and White Light_**

___All the world fell away last night  
____Leaving you  
_____Only you and fright  
______I watched you float away out to sea

~Squeaking Wheels and White Light, This Providence

* * *

_Heartless…Heartless…_ Xestra thought as she searched Traverse Town. She couldn't seem to find them anywhere.

She walked through a pair of doors leading to the Second District.

_Where do Heartless live…?_

She made her Keyblade appear in her hand, and stared at it.

What did it have to do with her?

Suddenly there were several patches of dark on the ground slithering toward her. Little creatures, with sharp hands and feet, and long, black ear-looking things on their heads emerged from the dark patch.

They looked around madly, and then their glowing yellow eyes focused their attention on Xestra.

She took a step back, holding the Keyblade in front of her to protect herself.

_Are these the Heartless?_

They crouched down and became patches of shadows on the ground again, and advanced toward her.

Xestra took several more steps back as they were little creatures again, closer than before.

She decided she'd try her Keyblade out on them. She raised it up and struck them all in a single blow. They disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Xestra looked at her Keyblade, positive that the ones she wiped out were indeed Heartless, and she had just begun what she promised Sora she'd do: defeat Heartless.

Taking a deep breath, she ventured further into the area, looking for more Heartless.

* * *

Axel walked out of a portal, and started through the sand that covered Agrabah.

_Where could she be?_

His black boots became dusty as he walked, but he did not know where he was going.

He sighed after a long time of looking around, knowing she couldn't be there.

He decided he'd try another place after his mission the next day. He clenched his hands into a fist as he made a portal with his other hand, determined to find her.

The wind whipped past him as he entered the portal, leaving behind him the quiet sand of the desert.

* * *

The area full of Heartless disappeared as they hit the end of Xestra's Keyblade, but Xestra was out of breath from the constant appearance of the Heartless.

_Why are they after me?_ Xestra thought to herself.

She glanced at her Keyblade, but decided it was unfair to blame the thing that was protecting her.

Suddenly a bigger shadow than Xestra had seen so far appeared on the ground.

Xestra gritted her teeth and prepared for a Heartless to pop up.

It slowly raised itself, revealing a tall Heartless, with longer arms and legs than the other Heartless, but the same glowing yellow eyes.

Xestra took a deep breath, but before she could do anything, the Heartless released a burst of energy that sent her flying back. Her back was slammed against a wall, knocking the wind out of her.

She lay there helpless, knowing it would come over to do away with her momentarily.

Xestra closed her eyes as the Heartless leapt forward, but after a moment, she felt nothing.

She peeked one eye open, and saw the back of a man with brown hair, holding a large sword.

His sword had blocked the attack of the Heartless.

She sat upright slowly, clutching her Keyblade and looking for the chance to strike the Heartless to help him.

"You're hurt. I don't need help," the man said, as he knocked the giant Heartless back.

"But…" Xestra started, but stopped short as he threw a small glare over his shoulder.

The Heartless jumped back to attack him, but with one swing of his sword, the Heartless turned into a puff of smoke.

Xestra stared at him in awe as he walked over to help her up.

She took his hand and started to pull herself up, but she immediately started to fall back down. He caught her, and sighed as he picked her up.

"I can walk," Xestra protested, but he didn't let her go.

"You're just going to cause more trouble if you try to walk and hurt yourself more," he argued, turning around a corner.

Xestra pouted, but suddenly felt the aching of her muscles. In that condition, she knew she couldn't do much more than crawl.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly. She felt kind of dizzy, but fought back the sleepiness to hear his name.

He stayed quiet, ignoring her question as he continued walking.

"I don't like the idea of being carried around by a stranger, so tell me your name," she persisted. She felt panicked as the sleepiness was taking over her consciousness.

"Leon," he said in a gruff voice.

Xestra's eyes began closing. "You know Leon…you're nice to me like Sora…I don't know why, though…"

Leon looked down at Xestra, and said something, but it was muffled. Then everything went black.

* * *

Axel walked up to the Clock Tower in Twilight Town, and found a boy with blonde hair already sitting up there with two sea-salt ice cream sticks in his hand.

He handed Axel one as he took his seat on the right side of him.

"You're late," he said, giving Axel a teasing smile.

Axel rubbed the back of his head and gave him a weak smile. "Thanks Roxas."

"Why the long face?"

"Just…stuff…" Axel replied, taking a bite of his ice cream.

"Stuff? Can you be more specific?"

Axel quietly continued eating his ice cream, deep in thought. "Where was your mission today, Roxas?"

"Wonderland, why?"

"Did you see a girl with long black hair, and blue eyes?"

Roxas paused and thought. "Not that I know of…I think I heard Xigbar mention someone like that in Traverse Town, though."

"Really?" Axel asked, jumping up.

"Yeah…why? Who is she?"

Axel cleared his throat, composing himself, and sat back down. "Oh…well…long story. Traverse Town, huh?"

"You're weird sometimes, Axel," Roxas said, looking at him confused.

Axel smiled. "You're even weirder, former-zombie. Got it memorized?"

* * *

"So Squall, where did you say you found her?" Xestra heard a girl's voice ask.

"In the Second District, Yuffie. I already told you that. I don't know what she was doing there, but look at her necklace." That voice belonged to Leon.

The girl gasped. "It's a Keyblade!?"

"Yeah, and she was using a normal size one to fight, too. I don't know what to make of it."

"The poor girl. You were right to help her," another girl's voice, softer than the first girl's, said. "We can ask her questions when she wakes up."

Xestra felt a blanket being put on her. She tried to open her eyes, but she felt like she was under water, unable to say anything or move. All she could do was listen to them talk.

"Did Sora say anything about her when he was here?" the first girl asked.

"No, but she mentioned Sora, saying I was nice like him."

"Aw, that's sweet, Squall!"

Leon didn't say anything, and Xestra could hear his footsteps as he walked away.

The two girls laughed.

"I hope she'll be okay," the second girl said.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be fine. If she's got a Keyblade, she's got to have a strong heart. I'm sure she'll pull through!" the first girl said confidently.

_A strong heart…?_

Xestra heard their footsteps walk to the other side of the room, leaving her to focus on opening her eyes.

This proved to be a much harder task than she thought.

* * *

After Axel and Roxas RTC'd, they walked through the Grey Area, where Saïx and another Organization member were talking.

"But Saïx, man, I don't want to take out the Heartless!" the other member said. "Tomorrow, or any other day!"

"Demyx, you take the missions you are assigned, no complaining," Saïx replied matter-of-factly.

"But I don't even like Traverse Town! I mean, it's a giant town, and I always get lost!"

Axel froze and turned to them. "Hey, Demyx, I've got a recon mission tomorrow at Neverland. Wanna trade?"

"Do I! Sweet!"

Saïx turned and gave Axel a suspicious look. "What do you get out of this trade, Axel?" he asked.

Axel shrugged. "Just want to help out a friend."

By the look on Saïx's face, Axel could tell he didn't believe him, but he could also tell Saïx was curious as to what he was planning.

"Very well," Saïx said. "Just as long as both get done."

He gave Axel one last glance before exiting.

"Thanks man!" Demyx said, giving Axel a pat on the back. "They try to stick me with all of these Heartless-eliminating jobs!"

"Yeah, no problem," Axel said, before turning to Roxas.

"Ask and you will receive, huh?" Roxas asked smugly.

Axel smiled at him. "I guess so."

* * *

The first thing Xestra saw when she opened her eyes was a girl with a pink dress and a pink bow in her long brown hair walking around the room, humming a sweet song that put Xestra at ease.

Xestra rubbed her head and felt her neck for her necklace. Once she made sure it was still there, she swung her legs over the edge, getting ready to get off the bed.

The girl turned and noticed that she was awake. "Good evening," she said, smiling sweetly. "Feeling better?"

Xestra nodded her head, stepping down on the ground with more stability than she had earlier.

"I made you some food. It's on the table over there," she said.

Xestra looked to where she was pointing and saw a tray full of food.

She didn't want to be rude, so she walked over and began eating.

"Hey Aeris, has the little girl woken up yet?"

A girl with short black hair with a ribbon-looking cloth around her forehead, and long boots entered the room, whose voice matched the first girl Xestra had heard earlier. "Hey! How ya feeling?"

Xestra swallowed her food. "Good…"

"That's great! Squall was really worried about you, though he'd never admit it!"

"Squall?"

"She means Leon," Aeris said. "I'm Aeris, by the way."

"And I'm Yuffie! Nice to meet you!"

"You, too…"

"And what's your name?"

"Xestra…"

"That's a lovely name," Aeris said in her soft voice.

"So, once you're done eating, we've got some questions for you," Yuffie started.

"I don't know why I have a Keyblade, or where I got it. I didn't even know what it was until Sora found me and told me what it was not too long ago. I'm sorry that I can't help you at all…"

Yuffie and Aeris hesitated.

"Oh…" Yuffie said disappointed. "Well, I'm sure there's someone knows where you got it. Where were you before you came here?"

"I can't remember."

Aeris and Yuffie exchanged glances.

"What?" Xestra asked.

"Can you remember where you came from?" Yuffie asked calmly.

Xestra shook her head and Yuffie continued. "So you appeared here, and don't know how you got here?"

Xestra paused. "Basically…"

She left out the part where she had been walking through holes of darkness, mindlessly wandering between places she didn't know.

"I don't know how to tell you this but…your world was destroyed," Yuffie said. "People appear here when that happens."

Xestra looked up at her. Maybe that would explain all the darkness that she had in her memory. And why she couldn't remember anything about it.

"But wouldn't I have some memory of my other world?" Xestra asked, trying desperately to come up with some answers.

Aeris spoke up this time. "You do not remember anything about your past? At all?"

Xestra shook her head and absently poked her bowl rice with her chopsticks.

"Well, this is some kind of puzzle!" Yuffie exclaimed. "We'll solve it in no time! We should go ask Cid!"

"I don't know if he'd be able to help any more than we would. He's busy right now, anyway," Aeris said, then she turned to Xestra and noticed her almost-worried expression. "Are you afraid?"

Xestra looked into Aeris' eyes, feeling all the stress slowly disappear. "I don't feel anything…" she said sadly. "I don't know anything…"

Aeris walked over to her and hugged her. "Don't worry, we'll help you."

"Yeah!" Yuffie agreed excitedly.

Leon walked in at that moment, noticing Xestra was awake.

"And Squall will help out, too!" Yuffie exclaimed, reaching up to put her around his shoulder.

Aeris laughed as Leon leaned away from Yuffie. Xestra looked at them, and wondered why they were being so kind to her.

~*~


	3. Listen to Your Heart

**_Chapter Three~Listen to Your Heart_**

______Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile  
________The precious moments are all lost in the tide  
_________They're swept away and nothing is what it seems  
__________The feeling of belonging to your dreams_

_~Listen to Your Heart, Roxette_

* * *

The next morning when Xestra woke up, everyone was already awake, and Yuffie and Leon were getting ready to leave.

She sat up and looked at them in confusion. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"We've got to go out and get some Heartless," Yuffie explained, readying her ninja-looking weapons. "Cid said there was a big one around here, and we've got to go take care of it."

"Can I come?"

"Are you sure you're feeling up to it? We wouldn't want you to push yourself harder than you can," Aeris said kindly.

"No, I'm feeling fine, I want to help," Xestra persisted.

Leon looked at her doubtfully.

"I'm fine. Really."

"Well, okay then. We could always use extra help!" Yuffie exclaimed. "We'll all split up to cover more ground. If one of us finds it, keep it busy until the other two arrive."

Xestra nodded her head as she followed them out the door.

"Be careful!" she heard Aeris call out.

"Ready? Set? Go!" Yuffie exclaimed running off in one direction.

"It's not a race," Leon mumbled, walking off in another direction.

Xestra decided on another direction, hoping she'd find it and defeat it so she could pay them back for their kindness.

She took about ten steps and a trio of shadow Heartless appeared.

She didn't waste a moment. She ran forward and slashed them, then continued walking. She noticed she was getting better for the little time she had with her Keyblade. With the small Heartless, anyway.

Several more groups of Heartless approached her, but they met the same fate as the ones before them.

She was confident in her skills, the only thing on her mind was her goal.

* * *

Axel walked out of a portal, and entered Traverse Town, determined to get what he was looking for no matter the cost.

He walked by a few people, who stared at him as he walked by.

For this mission, he didn't care that people saw him.

He walked by one girl who he had seen before.

"Oh Heartless…Heartless…" he heard her almost sing. "Hm…I wonder if Squall or Xestra found them yet…"

Axel froze and watched her walk away.

_She said Xestra…she must be here!_

He thought over whether he should ask her where she was, but decided against it, knowing she'd be suspicious of him.

He ventured on, knowing what he sought was moments away from being found.

* * *

Xestra walked around for a bit, wondering if Leon or Yuffie had already found it. She came to a dead end of a deserted alley before she decided to go looking for them.

She heard a noise behind her and turned to come face-to-face with the biggest Heartless she had ever seen, or could ever imagine.

It laughed an evil laugh as it disappeared and threw its sword. The sword turned and started toward Xestra. She held up her hand and her Keyblade appeared to help her.

The sword bounced off, and continued behind her. Then it turned and started toward her again. She jumped to the side, barely missing it.

It came back for her, and this time Xestra tried to hit the sword back.

The sword didn't seem fazed, but started to fight with her Keyblade, almost as though they were in a sword fight.

She ducked down and rolled out of the way as she saw the Heartless come back, releasing a powerful amount of energy. It was similar to the Heartless she encountered the day before, but this one was obviously more formidable.

The Heartless started forward, and swung its sword at her, but she dodged it, and turned her body, hitting it on its back with her Keyblade.

It seemed to have only a momentary effect. The Heartless cringed, and then turned to take a swing at her.

It barely missed her as she ducked her head and hit it in the stomach with her Keyblade.

This had more of an effect as it fell back a little to recover, and then started forward again. It laughed another evil laugh, and disappeared. This cycle, Xestra realized, would continue until she was defeated.

She knew she was running out of steam fast, and tried desperately to come up with some plan before she was bested.

The sword charged for her, and Xestra, not knowing what else to do, dodged it over and over again until the Heartless appeared again to release another burst of energy, and started toward her.

She continued to hit it with all her strength, but knew it wasn't doing as much damage as she hoped it would.

After a few more minutes of this cycle, her Keyblade fell to the side and she dropped to her knees, completely out of energy.

She looked up at the Heartless as it smiled down on her and laughed.

It raised up its sword, and Xestra knew this time she was done.

She closed her eyes and waited for the end. But it didn't come. Instead she heard the clanging of metal together, and the Heartless cry out in pain.

She opened her eyes and saw a man wearing a black coat staring at the Heartless who was being consumed by flames.

Her eyes got wide as she watched it slowly disappear.

But that wasn't enough for the man in the black coat.

He jumped forward, and used the circular red and silver weapons in his hands to further punish the Heartless. He continued shooting fire at it, and striking it until there was nothing left.

The man turned to Xestra, but she didn't feel frightened. The black coat was the same, but she could tell the person was different than the one in her dream. But that and the flames were signs of hope for Xestra. Maybe he knew who she was.

She looked around for her Keyblade, and found it lying next to her.

Grabbing it, she put it on her lap so it wouldn't get dirty. It, along with this man, had saved her life, so she wanted to take care of it.

She felt exhausted as the man stared at her, but she tried to look like she could still fight, just in case the man decided to roast her as well.

"Xestra?" he asked in an oddly familiar voice.

"Yes?"

"Is it…really you?"

"Um, yes it is…or it is I …?" Xestra said, unsure of how to phrase it.

Suddenly he rushed forward and hugged her, catching her completely off guard.

"You don't know how long I've been looking for you," he said.

His tone was only slightly full of emotion, but Xestra couldn't have added any emotions to her own words any better.

"Why were you looking for me? Who are you?" Xestra asked.

She looked up at him as he let her go and saw his green eyes inside the black hood.

"You!" she exclaimed, pointing at him. "You were in my dreams! With the flames and the other man with the black coat who told me my name!"

"That was Xemnas," he said but shook his head. "Never mind. Come with me."

"Go with you where?" Xestra asked.

"We're going back to the castle. I'm not losing you again, so I insist you come with me by choice, rather than force."

Even though he said these harsh words, his tone showed he would find it entertaining if she tried to go against what he said.

"I don't know who you are…please, remove your hood," Xestra said, unconsciously being polite.

He promptly took off his hood, revealing his red hair which stood on its ends, and he had a smile on his face. "Anything else?" he asked, slightly amused.

Xestra thought a moment. "Can you…magically make me less tired?" she asked jokingly.

"Sure," he said. He pointed at her, and a swirl of green lights circled her.

Suddenly she felt as she did when she first woke up: refreshed and ready to go.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

He held out his hand to help her up, and smiled at her. "Magic. Got it memorized?"

She nodded. "I'll do my best," she said as her Keyblade disappeared. "What's your name? Even though I'm guessing I should know it?"

"Well, I don't know if you'd know my Nobody name, but…"

"Your nobody name? Are you saying you're a nobody? I think you're being too hard on yourself…"

He shook his head. "Not nobody. Nobody. With a capital 'N'. I haven't got a heart, you see."

"You…don't have a heart? So…does that make you a Heartless?"

"Well, it means I _am_ heartless, but I'm a Nobody. It's a long and complicated process, which I'm sure we can talk about once we RTC," he said. Xestra opened her mouth to ask another question, but he cut her off. "Which stands for 'Return to Castle'. Oh and I'm Axel. Got it memorized?"

Xestra smiled. "Alright, Axel, I'll hold off on the questions for now."

He nodded approvingly as Xestra continued. "Even though I'd really love to know who you are, especially who you are to me…"

Axel sighed as he bent over a a little to be at eye level with her, and looked at Xestra in the eyes. "I'm someone very important to you, and you're someone very important to me. I'll give you as much time as you need, but you will remember me. It'll come to you eventually. That's all you need to know for now. I wouldn't want you to hurt your head trying to think."

Xestra looked at the ground, away from his eyes. They seemed to be full of memories that she should know, but didn't. This made her feel guilty, but she decided the top priority was finding out who he really was to her, instead of defeating Heartless. That came in a close second.

"I'll do my best," she promised, mustering up all her courage to look at him again.

Axel smiled.

"You sure are smiling a lot for someone who doesn't have a heart…" Xestra pointed out.

"I guess certain people can make me feel like I have one," he said, smiling a bigger, almost silly looking, smile at her.

Xestra laughed a little, noticing it felt less forced than it would have been the day before. There was something about him that made her feel…actually happy, or at least, she knew she should feel happy.

"Oh no! I have to find Leon and Yuffie!" Xestra suddenly remembered her friends, who were still searching for the Heartless Axel had defeated.

"Get away from her!" she suddenly heard Yuffie's voice yell out.

Axel and Xestra turned to see Yuffie and Leon charging toward them.

Xestra put out her hands and waved them frantically. "No, it's fine! He's a friend!"

She heard Axel snort. She turned momentarily to look at him as he leaned on the wall, arms crossed. "We're not friends?" she asked.

"I didn't say that…I mean, we were friends…best friends…"

Xestra knew her heart should've been racing, but she didn't feel anything. She shook her head, and turned back to face Yuffie and Leon, who had almost reached her.

"What do you mean you're friends!?" Yuffie exclaimed.

"He knows me!"

"And she knows me," Axel said, but Xestra didn't know if they heard him.

They reached her and Axel, and Yuffie walked over to confront Axel, glaring up at him. "How can we trust you know her?"

"Because I've known her for a lot longer than you two have," he said, looking down at her calmly. "A lot longer. I can tell you anything about her."

Yuffie looked over at Leon, and pointed to Axel with her thumb. "I don't trust this guy."

"Neither do I," Leon said, lifting his sword, ready to attack him. "The black coat doesn't help your argument."

"Oh, this old thing?" Axel asked, slightly lifting up his coat. "This was a gift."

"A gift?" Yuffie repeated.

Axel nodded his head. "From my boss. He wanted me to fit in more with the rest of the co-workers," he said, then took Xestra's hand in his own. "Now if you'll excuse us, we've got places to go, people to see. You know how it is."

Xestra gave them a pleading look. "He knows who I am. I need him to tell me everything he knows."

"But…" Yuffie said, looking from Xestra to Axel, and then back to Xestra.

"Trust me," Xestra said.

Yuffie bit her lip, but nodded. "Come back and visit when you can. I'll tell Aeris what happened."

"Thank her for me, please," Xestra said. "And thank you both so much. Especially you, Leon, for saving me from that Heartless yesterday."

Axel's interest was piqued at this as he stood straight and looked at Leon suspiciously.

Leon reluctantly lowered his sword, and looked away. "No problem."

Yuffie gave Xestra a hug before Axel opened a portal and both him and Xestra walked through it.

"A portal?!" Leon exclaimed as it closed. "He's connected to the Darkness! We shouldn't have let her go!"

He slammed his sword on the ground in frustration as Yuffie looked sadly at the place the portal had been. "She'll be okay…she has the Keyblade, Squall."

~*~

...

____I know there's something in the wake of your smile  
______I get a notion from the look in your eyes_

_..._

_~*~_


	4. All We Know

**_Chapter Four~All We Know_**

____We've tried so hard to understand, but we can't  
____We held the world out in our hands and you ran away  
_____It takes some time to let you go and it shows  
______'Cause all we know is falling, it falls  
_______Remember, 'cause I know that we won't forget at all_

_~All We Know, Paramore_

* * *

Xestra and Axel walked out of the portal to find themselves in a large, gray area.

There was a small place on each side of the room where several couches sat; they matched the bleak color that the rest of the room did.

There were several glass-looking panels on the floor, and, when Xestra turned to see what the other side of the room looked like, she was face to face with a wall made entirely of glass. She looked through it and only saw black sky. There was one bright spot up to the left and, taking a closer look, Xestra realized it was a giant heart-shaped moon. It was breathtaking in contrast to the rest of the gloominess in the empty sky.

"Nice, huh?" Axel said, noticing Xestra was staring at the moon. "That's Kingdom Hearts, the thing we're going to complete."

"We?" Xestra asked, turning her attention back to him. "You mean, you and your 'co-workers'?"

The sides of Axel's lips curled into a small smile. "You got it memorized, do ya? Yeah, me and my co-workers. Which, I'd be happy to introduce you to…" his voice trailed off as a man with blue hair and a scar in the shape of an 'X' in the middle of his face, wearing a coat that was obviously meant to be the same as Axel's, made his way toward the two. "But, then again Saïx here might want to do it for me."

"So, this is what you've been looking for," Saïx said, looking down on Xestra. "Fascinating."

"Well, you know, lots of things are fascinating," Axel said, stepping in front of Xestra to block Saïx's view of her. "We've got lots of things to do, though, so we'll see you around. Gotta go find Xemnas."

"Welcome to the Organization," Saïx said to Xestra sarcastically as she began to walk away behind Axel.

Suddenly Saïx grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. He knelt down and took her necklace in his hands. "Oh? What's this?"

Xestra looked helplessly at Axel who slapped Saïx's hand away from her. "It's rude to treat a lady like that," he said, with no amusement in his voice.

Saïx glared at him, then turned to Xestra. "May I see your necklace?"

Xestra looked at Axel, who reluctantly nodded his head. She took it off her neck, and put it in Saïx's hands. It was there for two seconds, then disappeared, reappearing as a larger size Keyblade in her hand.

"Another Keyblade wielder?" Saïx said in surprise.

His tone was obviously out of character, because when Axel snickered he quickly regained his cold demeanour. "You must take her to Xemnas at once."

"We were actually just about to do that before you so rudely interrupted us," Axel said.

"Whatever. Just go."

With that Axel took Xestra's shoulders and ushered her forward into the hallway adjacent to the giant window.

"Who was that?"

"That was Saïx. He's one of my co-workers."

"Back there, he said 'Welcome to the Organization'. What's the Organization?"

"That's my company," Axel said with a small smile. "We're a bunch of Nobodies working to get Kingdom Hearts, that big heart in the sky."

Xestra paused as she thought through that, then she suddenly stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" Axel asked in as convincing worried tone as a Nobody could.

"So…if you're an Organization of Nobodies…and Saïx said that I was now part of it…does that mean I'm a Nobody, too?"

Axel paused, and rubbed the back of his head, looking for the right words. "…yeah, you are."

Xestra looked at the ground. "Oh…"

Axel leaned over and pulled up her chin to look at him. "But, hey, so is everyone else here! You'll fit right in!"

"Did I ever have a heart?"

Axel shook his head sadly. "You and I were born without them. But that means we've got something in common," Axel said, trying to cheer her up. "That's what the Organization's goal is: to finish Kingdom Hearts so we can all get our own hearts."

"Our own hearts?" Xestra repeated.

Axel smiled and nodded. "Yep, one for me," he said and pointed to where a heart should be on the left side of his chest, before pointing to Xestra's. "And one for you."

As his hand dropped, she placed her hand over where he pointed, and secretly hoped she'd feel something beating. But, after a moment, she felt nothing. This slightly disturbed her, but, when she looked at Axel's worried face, she knew she was going to be okay. She wasn't alone anymore.

"You okay?" Axel asked after a long pause. The silence was making him increasingly worried.

"You are good at making that worried face," Xestra said, taking both of her hands and pinching Axel's cheeks. "It's like your signature look…which is weird, because your signature look should be a normal-no feeling kind of look."

The worried expression vanished completely on Axel's face as he smiled. "Like I said, some people make me think I feel stuff."

Xestra was about to let go of Axel's cheeks when a blonde girl in the same black coat walked by and snorted. "Amateur," Xestra heard her say, which made no sense to Xestra.

"Oh, before you go, Larxene," Axel said. "I'd like you to meet the newest girl in the Organization."

Larxene looked over annoyed at Xestra and Axel and walked over. She was a few inches taller than Xestra, but her confidence made her seem much taller than she really was. "Newest girl, huh?" she said, grabbing Xestra's chin and examining her closely. Xestra's big blue eyes stared up at her, unable to do anything but stand still. "Not bad looking, though still no comparison to yours truly."

"Is it because she still has the youthful look and you got your 'mature' look?" Axel asked in a sarcastic tone.

Larxene didn't seem to notice and she let go of Xestra's chin. "You could say that. Cute little trinket there," she said, pointing to Xestra's necklace. "You have a crush on that Roxas kid or something?"

"Roxas?" Xestra repeated, looking at Axel in confusion.

"No, she has her own Keyblade," Axel replied.

"Another Keyblade wielder?" Larxene said, then rolled her eyes. "Well, hopefully you'll do a better job than that useless Keyblade boy."

With that Larxene walked away.

"Isn't she something?" Axel said.

"Is Roxas a Keyblade wielder, too?" Xestra asked.

Axel nodded his head. "And my best friend."

"There must be a lot of people with Keyblades then…" Xestra said.

Axel looked at her with a perplexed look. "No, not at all. The Keyblade usually chooses one person," Axel said. "Roxas' case is different, and it seems yours is completely different, too."

"Then why does Sora have one, too?"

Axel froze. "How do you know Sora?"

"I met him at Traverse Town…why?"

Axel relaxed his muscles a little, trying to calm himself. "No reason. Just wondering…"

"Do you know him?"

"No."

It didn't seem that Axel was going to talk more on this subject, so Xestra thought of another topic that might ease the mood a little. "Can you introduce me to Roxas? If he's your best friend, he must be a very special person."

Axel smiled. "He's the best of the best. Let's go see if he's in his room."

Xestra nodded and they made their way through what seemed like endless hallways of grey and white in the castle. She knew eventually she'd get the hang of where everything was, but until then, she'd need some kind of map, or an escort.

They walked down one hallway and into a room with a white bed, and an unfamiliar symbol on the headboard.

There was a blonde boy lying on his bed, who Xestra assumed was Roxas, staring at the ceiling.

When Axel walked in, Roxas threw a teasing glare at him.

"You didn't show up at the Clock tower today," he said.

Axel rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that, I got…tied up with other things," he said, stepping aside to allow Roxas to see Xestra.

Roxas sat up and stared curiously at her. "Who's she?"

"Roxas, this is Xestra. Xestra, Roxas," Axel introduced, nudging Xestra forward.

"Um…hello Roxas…" Xestra said, shyly smiling at him.

"Hey Xestra. Nice to meet you. Are you a friend of Axel's?"

"She sure is, got it memorized?" Axel said. "We've got to go talk to Xemnas, but she'll be the newest addition to the Organization."

"Oh, really? That's great!" Roxas said happily. "You can come eat sea salt ice cream with us on the Clock Tower after your missions, too!"

"Sea salt ice cream?" Xestra asked, her face cringing a little from the thought.

Roxas and Axel laughed.

"It's better than it sounds," Roxas assured her.

"Well, sorry to say hi and run, but we've got to go check in with Numero Uno up in the Round Room," Axel said, turning to leave.

"Roxas…" Xestra said quietly, taking a step toward him. "Can I see your Keyblade please?"

"My Keyblade?" Roxas asked.

He glanced at Axel who was carefully watching Xestra.

Xestra nodded her head. Roxas shrugged and held out his hand and a giant Keyblade appeared in his hand. Xestra reached out a hand to take it, but Roxas pulled back a little.

"This only works for me, Xestra. For some reason, it won't let anyone else use it…" Roxas said.

"Really? Can I try?"

"Sure," Roxas said, handing her the Keyblade, anticipating it to disappear, but when it didn't, he stared at Xestra.

"H-how are you still holding it?" he asked.

Xestra shrugged and pointed to her necklace. "I've got one, too."

Roxas looked at the necklace more closely, then up at Xestra's blue eyes. "Amazing."

"She sure is something, huh, Roxas?" Axel said, smiling.

Roxas nodded his head as Xestra handed his Keyblade back to him. "Sorry, I just wanted to see if it'd work for yours, too."

"No problem. That's cool that we're both Keyblade wielders."

Xestra nodded in agreement. She was feeling less and less alone as she spent time with Axel and Roxas. They knew what she was going through and had a lot in common with her.

"Well, time for us to leave," Axel announced. "See you later, Roxas."

"Nice to meet you, Roxas. Oh, and your Keyblade," Xestra said.

"Yeah, you, too Xestra. See you, Axel."

Xestra and Axel walked out of the room, and Xestra followed Axel down another hallway.

"I can see why he's your best friend," Xestra commented as they walked. "He's so nice to me, even though I just met him…"

"Well, I bet he could tell that you're a nice person right when you walked in. Roxas is just a nice guy. That and you two are about the same height."

Xestra laughed a little, pausing immediately afterward at the startling sound.

Axel turned and smiled at her. He could tell she was becoming more of the girl he remembered.

"We're here," Axel said, ushering her into another room. This room was filled with giant white seats towering over her in a circle.

_The Round Room…_Xestra remembered Axel called it. Well, the round part made sense…

All but one seat was empty; the only other person in the room was a man in an identical black coat, and, from what Xestra could see, he had almost silver hair. He looked down at them, but only noticed Axel, as he was standing protectively in front of Xestra.

"My dear Axel, what do I owe this visit?" the man's voice boomed out, though it didn't echo.

"Xemnas, I have brought another Nobody. A Keyblade wielder."

Xemnas' interest was piqued at this, and he looked down to see Xestra. "A Keyblade wielder you say?"

"Yes, she is the one you formerly gave the name 'Xestra' to."

Xemnas paused. "And you managed to do what Saïx could not: bring her back?" he asked, clearly pleased with Axel's success.

Axel nodded, his face showing no emotion.

Xemnas paused once more, taking a moment to think.

Xestra would have asked Axel who this man was, but she could tell by Axel's stone cold face that it was best to show complete respect in this man's—who Axel called Xemnas'—presence.

"Call everyone together to introduce our newest member," he finally said.

"Yes sir," Axel said. "Come on Xestra."

"No, she will remain here. I must speak with her," Xemnas ordered.

Axel looked up at Xemnas, then at Xestra, obviously torn, but decided that he wouldn't go against Xemnas' orders. "I'll be back," he promised.

Xestra was in despair as Axel opened a portal and gave her one last look before disappearing through it.

She looked up nervously at Xemnas, who smiled down at her. "You have caused me a lot of trouble," he said, his smile never leaving his mouth. "But it was not your fault, of course. It was the darkness. It simply couldn't resist you and your pure heart."

"But…I don't have a heart," Xestra said after she had summoned all of her courage to talk to this powerful figure. "I mean, I thought I was a Nobody…"

"Oh you are. But I was talking about before you were one of us."

"Do you…know a lot about who I was before?" Xestra asked.

Xemnas' smile slightly decreased. "I'm afraid my dear, that I do not. Axel is the only one who does," he said. "But I do know that because you have a Keyblade, you will greatly increase our progress on Kingdom Hearts. You are like our dear Roxas."

Xestra nodded. "I met Roxas. He's nice."

Xemnas seemed to pay no attention to this, and continued on. "Well, before you are to meet everyone, you need to look like one of us," he said, opening a portal next to her. "Go through here and you will be taken care of."

"Thank you," Xestra said quietly before walking through the portal.

On the other side of the portal, there was a small creature with a red nose that matched the color of the pom-pom on his head, flying around with a measuring tape in one hand, and a pencil in the other. He was the only one in the castle, besides herself, that wasn't wearing a black coat.

"Huh? Oh, who may you be, kupo?" the creature asked, flying over to her.

"I'm…Xestra…"

"Oh, Xestra, kupo! I've got the basics for your robe all ready, but I need to take your measurements before I can complete it, kupo!" he exclaimed, flying over.

"What is your name?" Xestra asked as he measured her waist.

"…my name is of no importance, kupo," he said.

"Then what shall I call you?" Xestra asked.

"You can call me…number ninety nine…or Moogle, works, too, kupo," the little Moogle said, moving onto her arm length.

"Alright, number ninety nine," Xestra said with a small giggle.

Xestra paused again at the odd sound she had just made.

"A Nobody laughing? You, Roxas and Axel are the only ones that I've heard do that, kupo. Quite the odd trio, kupo," the Moogle said.

"But you're the Moogle who makes robes for us odd Nobodies, which makes you a little odd yourself," Xestra pointed out with a well intended smile.

The Moogle looked up at her and gave a little smile. "Touché, kupo," he said.

He flew over to a pile of black material, and began measuring and cutting. Xestra sat down on a small chair near him, and looked around the small room. Everything was Moogle-size, so it seemed he was the only one who made their coats.

Only a few moments later, he held up an all new coat, tailored especially to Xestra's size.

"Try it on, kupo!" the Moogle encouraged.

Xestra put it on and felt like she belonged with the rest of the Organization. "Thank you very much, number ninety nine."

"No problem, number fourteen."

"Fourteen?"

The Moogle nodded. "Welcome to the Organization."

Xestra gave him a small smile. "How do I get back to the Round Room?"

"Just open a portal," he replied, cleaning up around the room.

"And how do I do that?"

The Moogle turned to give her a look of disbelief. "Face over there and put your hand out."

She did as she was told and suddenly a portal appeared. "Oh!" Xestra said, moving back a little.

"Now walk through it," the Moogle instructed.

"O-okay. I'll see you later," Xestra said, taking a deep breath.

She knew on the other side of the portal was all the other Organization members, waiting to pass judgement on her.

She summoned all of her courage, and walked through the portal, leaving the Moogle alone to clean in the small room.

~*~


	5. Honey Bee

**_Chapter Five~Honey Bee_**

____Darling, Darling, I am looking for you  
____Where have you gone?  
_____I will find your smiling face  
______Finally the two of us don't let the red thread of fate  
_______That binds us be cut_

~_Honey Bee, v(NEU)_

* * *

When Xestra first saw the empty, tall white chairs, they seemed only slightly intimidating. Now that they were filled with thirteen Nobodies, all wearing identical black robes, Xestra realized this was much, much worse.

Some wore their hoods to cover their faces, while others promptly had theirs off as they stared down at her with curious eyes.

She began walking toward the middle of the chairs, and tried to find Axel among the group.

Her eyes passed Roxas, who smiled at her, and then Larxene, whose arms were crossed as she looked uninterested. She finally found Axel as she reached the middle, and kept her eyes fixed on him as Xemnas began to speak.

"Dear friends," Xemnas greeted everyone. "We are adding one more to our ranks. A Keyblade wielder. Please welcome Number XIV, Xestra."

The interest of each Organization member seemed to be piqued as more looked down to assess her. She felt almost embarrassed at the staring eyes, but only because she didn't know what they were thinking.

She went back to focusing on Axel, who looked down at her with mixed expressions on his pale face. Happiness, sadness, confusion? Xestra couldn't tell; she couldn't read minds or faces.

"She is a fairly new Nobody, so I expect all of you to show her the ropes before she is taken seriously," Xemnas said, looking expectantly at Saïx.

_Before I'm taken seriously…? _Xestra thought to herself, a little confused as to whether that was an insult or a matter of fact.

"That is all. You may leave when you are ready," Xemnas said.

The smile he gave to Xestra looked as though he had some hidden meaning behind it, but he disappeared in a puff of black smoke before Xestra could be sure.

She looked over at Saïx who seemed to have somewhat of the same expression on his face before he disappeared, too, though she could tell it was mostly curiosity.

A few others slowly began to disappear as well, while most lingered a little while longer.

"It seems the game is changing…" one of the members with blonde hair and silver hoops on his ears said thoughtfully. "But what will I place my bet on?"

It seemed like a rhetorical question to Xestra, but another member with pink hair that stood on end answered. "You may bet on the Organization, Luxord. It seems like a good bet, don't you agree?"

Luxord paused thoughtfully. "It does seem to make sense, Marluxia. I'll just have to keep Lady Luck on my side."

Marluxia smirked. He turned to look down at Xestra, and ran his hand through his long, pink hair. "Welcome to the Organization, Xestra. You'll make a fine addition," he said before disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

Larxene snorted at Marluxia's words, but the smile on her face disappeared when she looked at Roxas, then at Xestra. "I guess it's the better of the two."

She sighed before disappearing, leaving Xestra and Roxas to exchange confused glances.

One man with long, almost purple, bangs in front of his face looked down at her with interest. "I hope you're willing to apply yourself," he said giving her an expectant look.

Xestra wasn't sure how to answer such a comment, but was relieved when he disappeared before she had a chance to make one.

Xestra turned and saw a man with long, black hair and a scowl on his face staring at Axel. Axel followed Xestra's glance, and locked eyes with the man.

The man smirked as Axel raised an eyebrow at him. "A Nobody cannot feel. How foolish of you, Axel," he said.

He shook his head before disappearing, leaving Axel slightly irritated.

Xestra heard a cackle, and saw it came from a man with long blonde hair, and an evil, mad, look in his eyes; he looked insane to Xestra. "There are so many possibilities for experiments…" he muttered before disappearing.

One man with an eye patch looked down at her with a large, almost sinister grin on his face. "Try not to let Vexen get to you, honey bee," he said. "I'm sure Axel over there won't let anything happen to you."

He gave out a laugh before disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

A man with a light brown mullet looked down at her with a sincere smile. "Hey there!"

Xestra paused to see if he'd say anything else before she made her reply. "Hello…"

"I'm Demyx! Nice to meet you!"

"Hi Demyx, I'm Xestra. It's nice to meet you, too."

"You'll like it here in the Organization! And since you're another Keyblade wielder, you'll leave most of the recon stuff to yours truly!" he said.

"Recon?"

"I'll explain all that to you later, Xestra," Axel assured her.

Xestra looked over to see him, but he had disappeared. Suddenly she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Axel standing next to her, a calm expression on his face.

"Okay…" she said.

Roxas appeared next to Axel momentarily after. "You'll be fine here, don't worry."

"So…I'm part of the Organization now?" Xestra asked.

"You betcha!" Demyx exclaimed.

He disappeared from the chair and reappeared next to the three in the same black smoke. Xestra blinked and realized she had just joined them, the Organization, in such a short amount of time; she could hardly believe it.

"Come on," Axel said, taking her shoulders and leading her out of the room. "I'm sure this is a lot for one day. I'll show you to your room."

"I get my own room?" Xestra asked, looking up at Axel as they made their way through the hallways.

Axel looked down at her and smiled. "Two doors down from mine. Got it memorized?"

"Two doors down? Who's between us?"

"That'd be me," Roxas said from behind Axel.

Xestra looked around Axel and smiled at Roxas. "Who's on the other side of me?"

"I'm pretty sure that's me…" Demyx said, thinking about where the rooms were. "Yeah…yeah, that's me. That's awesome!"

Xestra nodded in agreement. "I'll have friends on all sides, then. That's perfect!"

"Hopefully you'll be okay with only one other girl here," Roxas said, sympathetically. "Though I don't know if you should feel very lucky…"

Axel and Demyx softly laughed in agreement.

"Larxene is awful, man!" Demyx said in an exasperated tone. "I didn't do anything to her, and she's always on my case!"

Axel felt his chin, and shuddered. "She's one of a kind, that's all I can say."

"Maybe she's just…misunderstood?" Xestra suggested.

The three looked at each other, then shook their heads in synch, obviously dismissing Xestra's attempt at defending Larxene.

"Well, I plan on trying to get to know everyone…even Larxene," Xestra said with determination in her voice.

Axel noticed she was showing more and more of her real personality; she always gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, even if the evidence, and witnesses, stacked up against someone. She always hoped that the good in everyone would ultimately win.

Axel seemed to have had a distracted look on his face, because when he came back to reality, the other three were staring curiously at him.

"You okay, Axel?" Roxas asked.

Axel blinked and quickly smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?" he asked, trying to put the suspicion on Roxas rather than himself.

Roxas shook his head and smiled.

Demyx stretched and noisily yawned. "Well, a long nap sounds good right about now…"

"But it's still really early…" Roxas pointed out.

Demyx shrugged. "I already did the recon mission Axel so kindly switched with me, so I'm home free for the day. See you all later!"

They all waved as Demyx left.

"I still have my mission…" Roxas said. "What about you, Axel?"

Axel pointed at Xestra. "This, along with defeating the giant Heartless in Traverse Town, was my mission, so mission accomplished."

"Darn, you guys are lucky. Well, I'd better go take care of my mission. I'll see you two up at the Clock Tower later?"

Axel nodded. "Yeah, I'll just show Xestra around, and then we'll make our way there."

Roxas smiled at him. "Try not to be late this time."

Axel rubbed the back of his head and smiled. "We'll do our best…"

Roxas turned his smile to Xestra, and held out his hand. "It was nice meeting you, Miss Xestra," he said in a formal tone.

Xestra adjusted her posture and attempted to match his formal tone, "And you as well, Mr. Roxas. It was a pleasure."

They shook hands as Axel gave out a soft laugh. "Keyblade wielders," he said, rolling his eyes. "Can't live with them…can't live without them."

Roxas glared at him. "I'd better get going. See you guys later."

Axel and Xestra smiled at him as he left, then looked at each other.

"Now what?" Xestra asked.

"I'll show you to your room," Axel said, leading her into another hallway.

Xestra was silent as she followed Axel. Axel turned to see why she wasn't talking, and found Xestra staring at the floor, seeming to be in deep thought.

He wondered if he should interrupt her thoughts to ask what she was thinking about, but after a moment, he turned back to look where he was walking. He knew she probably had a lot on her mind; everything probably was moving very fast to her, and she needed some time to cope.

He clenched his fist at his side, bracing himself for the long amount of time it would be before she would remember everything, if she would remember at all. He frowned at the last thought; he knew he couldn't think that way.

She must remember, somewhere in her memory.

Axel knew Somebodies kept their memories in their hearts; so where did the Nobodies keep theirs?

If Axel could answer that question, maybe he could access Xestra's memories.

As Axel pondered this, Xestra stared at the back of his head, his bright red hair keeping her attention.

Contrary to what Axel thought she was thinking, she was not worried about everything moving too fast, or how things were turning out.

She was concentrating all her thoughts on him: who he was, how she knew him, how long she had known him, how much he knew about her, and how much she knew about him.

His bright green eyes, red hair, and the flames he commanded matched the only memories she had prior to meeting Sora, the third Keyblade wielder she knew, counting herself, but this still didn't help her.

It still left her clueless as to who he was.

According to him, they had been really close, and they were important to each other. But how important? And what exactly was the importance?

That's what Xestra was determined to find out.

She felt bad – or she knew that's how she should 'feel' – that he had been looking for her for so long, just to find she didn't remember a thing about him.

But maybe if she spent enough time with him things would start coming back to her. Or at least that's what she was hoping for.

Xestra was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she almost ran into Axel when he stopped short.

"We're here," Axel said, walking into the room he had stopped by.

Xestra followed him in, and found herself in a room almost identical to Roxas'; everything what white and grey, and there was the unfamiliar symbol on the headboard of the bed, too.

Xestra walked up to the bed, and ran her hand over the polished symbol. "What's this?"

"That's the Nobody symbol," Axel explained. "We all have it on our beds."

Xestra nodded her head, then looked at the bed and realized how tired she was.

"Well, I'll get out of your way for now," Axel said. "You get settled and I'll be up here later on to get you before we meet Roxas up at the Clock Tower for ice cream. Got it memorized?"

Xestra turned to him and smiled. "Alright, sounds good. I think I'll take a short nap…"

Axel smiled back. "I'll probably head to my room and do the same," he said, stepping forward and kissing her forehead. "See you later, Xestra."

"Bye Axel…" she said as he walked out.

She touched her forehead and couldn't stop a smile from forming on her face. It was so familiar…so sweet…so…Axel. Xestra paused; his name didn't sound as familiar as she hoped it would be, but she settled for the familiarity of the feeling of his lips on her forehead. It was a start.

She slowly sat down on the bed, looking around the room. It wasn't as warm as she thought it should be.

White only made her think of cold, frozen ice, while grey made her feel hopeless and bored. The two together only intensified these feelings, leaving Xestra uncomfortable.

She tried to picture something that would make it feel less intimidating as she carefully laid on her bed.

She closed her eyes and saw Roxas' smile as he laid on his own bed earlier, and Axel who stood in the middle of the room with his calm demeanor. Those two alone made her feel much better.

She began to imagine what the Clock Tower they talked about would seem like, and how ice cream tasted; 'ice' and 'cream' didn't seem like they'd be a good match, but if Axel and Roxas liked it, it couldn't be too bad.

She imagined the three of them laughing as they walked through the portal, and into a town; though the town would be new to Xestra, she knew it'd be exciting to explore new places.

She imagined their faces as they handed her the ice cream, and how they would encourage her to eat such a thing.

She smiled as she imagined each of these things.

But after she fell asleep, no happy images were there to save Xestra from the nightmares that quickly consumed her sleeping mind.

~*~


	6. Let the Flames Begin

_**Chapter Six~ Let the Flames Begin**_

____What a shame  
____We all became such fragile, broken things  
_____A memory remains just a tiny spark  
______I give it all my oxygen  
_______So let the flames begin  
________So let the flames begin_

_~Let the Flames Begin, Paramore_

* * *

_The path Xestra stood on was covered in a thick layer of ice. She couldn't move from fear of slipping, but she was also unable to stop herself from shivering from the coldness of the night, which altered her balance. She craved some kind of warmth, a fire, anything that would help keep the cold away._

_She looked around, but found herself alone in what seemed to be the dead of winter. There was nothing in sight, just the cold air that turned into a cloudy white puff each time Xestra exhaled._

_The coldness of the air made it hard to breathe, let alone feel anything through the numbness of her body, but Xestra fought against it, placing her hands over her mouth and breathing into them, trying to warm them up._

_She looked down and found she was not wearing her Organization attire; she found this strange because it was on her when she went to sleep. All she was wearing was a long skirt, a shirt and a blue and white scarf. She tugged at the scarf, and found some joy in its presence, but unsure as to why._

_Suddenly she forgot everything as a figure appeared in the distance. The Organization, as well as everyone in it, became distant memories, ones that she couldn't reach._

_Her face was flushed from the cold, and her eyes were wide with fear as the figure closed the distance between them._

_Xestra slowly brought her bare hands to her face. How could her face be flushed? She didn't have a heart to pump blood._

_Suddenly this, too, became something in the back of her mind; the thought of having a heart – or not having one – was gone._

_She didn't know what her name was, or even what she was doing there. All she knew was the fear she felt as the figure was just about to reach her._

"_It's cold out here," a voice rang out, but from where she couldn't tell. "Here, take my coat."_

_Suddenly a familiar coat was on her shoulders. She put it on, her eyes not leaving the figure, and was momentarily grateful for the warmth._

_The figure finally came close to Xestra, but it wasn't a person; it was just a shadow. But a shadow of what, Xestra couldn't tell._

_She stared at it, wondering if it would do anything. When it didn't, she hesitantly put her hand out to touch it._

_The voice from before suddenly spoke again. "Don't touch it. You don't know what it could do to you," the voice said._

_Xestra obediently brought back her hand to her side, then looked around for the source of the voice. "Who are you?" she called out._

_The voice laughed. "What kind of silly question is that?"_

_Xestra paused, dumbfounded. It wasn't silly…it really was a question to which the answer eluded her._

_She thought for a moment. "Can I get a hint?"_

_The voice continued laughing. "Sometimes you ask the silliest things…"_

"_I'm not trying to be silly…" Xestra said quietly. "I just want to know…"_

_The shadow began to move in circles around her._

"_Stay back from it!" the voice commanded._

_Xestra looked for an opening and jumped out of the shadow's circling._

"_What is that thing?" Xestra asked, trying to stabilize herself on the ice._

"_I don't know…but don't touch it. It may hurt you."_

_Suddenly an unrecognizable person walked in, carrying a large sword. She thought she should know who this man was. His brown hair and scar looked familiar…_

"_Leon!" Xestra exclaimed, suddenly remembering him. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Xestra, listen to me, you need to get out of here…" he said, reaching out his hand to take hers. "Take my hand."_

"_But…where are we?" Xestra asked, looking around desperately. "What's going on?"_

"_Xestra, don't listen to him!" the voice growled._

_Xestra held her head in pain. "I don't understand…"_

_The shadow suddenly changed into a small, black creature with glowing yellow eyes. She couldn't remember what it was called, but it looked like it needed help._

_Several people appeared and began attacking the creature._

"_No! Don't hurt it!" Xestra exclaimed, rushing to help the creature. "Please! You must stop!"_

_She stumbled forward, slipping on the ice and tripping before she reached them. "Please…please, don't hurt it!"_

_Getting up to her knees, she quickly stood up and lunged at the creature to block their strikes. Just as she almost reached it, the creature lunged at her. The look in its eyes made Xestra suddenly realize it wanted to harm her._

_She flinched, but felt someone's arms wrap around her. She looked up and realized it was Axel. He cried out in pain as the creature attacked him instead and fell over, Xestra still in his arms._

"_I'm sorry…" he said, giving her a weak smile. "I have to keep you safe …I…have…to…"_

"_No…no, this can't be happening…please…don't…" Xestra cried, holding his face between her hands as she kneeled next to him._

_He started to close his eyes as something in his chest began to sparkle, and she began to cry._

"_Please…please…don't go…please…_LEA!_"_

Xestra jerked up in her bed, breathing hard. She looked around and found herself in her little white room.

"Yes?" she heard a voice say next to her.

She jerked her head to the left and saw Axel sitting in a chair near her bed. "Axel…?"

"Good evening," he said. "What were you dreaming about?"

Xestra held her head in her hands. "Too much…"

"Just give me a brief description," Axel asked her encouragingly.

Xestra looked down at her bed as she sat upright. "There was a lot of ice, and a lack of heat…and I was wearing a blue and white scarf. I got a jacket from someone because I was cold, but I don't know from whom; and Leon was there…and you were there, but…you got…attacked…by a Heartless…" Xestra said the last part with some difficulty. She didn't want to remember painful things like that, even if it was just a dream.

"Is that it?" Axel asked.

"Oh, and I had a heart…"

There was a pause. Xestra looked over to see Axel's eyes sparkling with excitement. "I told you that you'd remember!"

Xestra stared at him. She didn't remember anything as far as she could tell. "What exactly do I remember…?"

Axel shook his head. "Sometimes you ask the silliest things…"

Xestra pointed at him accusingly. "You were the voice that was calling out to me! You gave me the jacket, and warned me to stay away from the Heartless!" she paused. "But I still don't understand what I remember…"

"You remember pieces of the puzzle…now all you have to do is find the rest, and then put them together," Axel said. "Hold on."

He stood up and walked out of the room, returning a few moments later with a medium size box in his hands. He sat at the end of Xestra's bed and handed it to her.

Xestra looked curiously at the box before opening it. It contained a few puzzle pieces.

"A puzzle?" she inquired.

He nodded. "There are more pieces, but you have to remember things to get those pieces."

"How did you know I knew these things?" she asked, picking up one of the pieces.

"I heard you yelling in your dream, so I came in to make sure you were alright. When you were dreaming, you were saying things out loud, so I could tell what you could remember. I made the puzzle earlier, and it's all the important things about your…our past."

Xestra nodded and looked at the items in the box. Maybe this was another thing to contribute to her memory; she'd remember everything in no time, she was sure. She placed the puzzle piece back in the box, shut the lid, and walked over to the small table in her room to set it down on.

Turning back to him she smiled. "Thank you…I'm sorry if I worried you…"

He waved his hand dismissively. "That's what I'm here for," he said. "Are you up for meeting Roxas at the Clock Tower for some ice cream?"

Xestra nodded. "We wouldn't want to keep him waiting!"

"I don't know…it might be fun…"

"No, no," Xestra said, pushing him out the door. "We need to go. No excuses."

Axel laughed. "Alright, alright…"

Xestra smiled as he opened a portal and they both walked through.

* * *

"What do you make of it, sir?" Saïx asked as he and Xemnas sat in the Round Room.

Xemnas paused thoughtfully. "I do not know, Saïx, but I'm sure she will remember everything from spending so much time with Axel."

"Will it help or hurt us? Getting her memory back, that is. What if she tries to leave us once she finds out who she really is?"

"The more she finds out, the more she'll want to stay with us. I do not know everything, but I do know that her and Axel have somewhat of an obvious secret, and are connected from when they were Somebodies."

"Sir, what kind of connection do you believe they had?"

Xemnas smiled at him. "Dear Saïx, surely you are not blind? Of course, since we have no hearts, we cannot understand, but they will think they _feel _the way they used to when they had hearts."

Saïx paused. "You cannot mean…"

Xemnas nodded. "What else did you think?"

Saïx put his gloved hand on his chin, as if he was deeply thinking. "But I don't understand why she has a Keyblade."

"That is what we must find out from Axel, because it seems Xestra is not sure why, either."

"Shall I ask Axel?"

"Patience, Saïx. Patience. We just have to watch and wait. The pieces of the puzzle will fall into place when they're meant to."

Saïx nodded, and then disappeared in a puff of black smoke, leaving Xemnas in the large Round Room alone to ponder what the next move of the Organization would be.

* * *

"Here we are," Axel announced as they reached an area of the town he called 'Twilight Town' that had a large building with a giant clock at the top. "Clock Tower."

"Wow…" Xestra said, looking up in awe at the sight. "It's so tall…"

"Come on," Axel said, leading her inside.

"Where is Roxas?"

"He's at the top, where we eat our ice cream."

"At the top? Isn't that a little…high?"

Axel gave a soft laugh. "It doesn't seem that high when you're up there. Trust me."

Xestra nodded her head and tightened her hand into a fist. She could do this…it was no big deal…or at least that's what she was going to keep telling herself.

The two arrived at the top to find Roxas sitting and eating a blue thing on a stick, which Xestra figured was the ice cream. He held out two other ones for Axel and Xestra, and when they took them, they sat next to him, Axel on the far side, and Xestra in between them.

The two boys began eating, while Xestra stared warily at hers.

"It's going to drip, Xestra," Roxas said. "You'd better eat it fast."

Xestra nodded and slowly put the ice cream to her lips. She bit down and a rush of saltiness and sweetness filled her mouth. "It's so salty…but it's sweet, too!" Xestra said in a surprised voice.

Axel and Roxas laughed in synch.

"That's what Roxas said when he first had it," Axel said, looking at Roxas who smiled. "Sea-salt ice cream."

"You like it?" Roxas asked.

"Mmhmm…" Xestra said, taking another bite.

This time when Axel and Roxas laughed, Xestra joined them.

"Welcome to our little ice cream corner," Roxas said.

Xestra swallowed the ice cream that was in her mouth. "Thank you very much for inviting me," Xestra said happily. "And for being so nice to me…"

Axel gave her a sincere smile. "Of course," he said squeezing her shoulder. "You're always welcome wherever we are. Right Roxas?"

Roxas nodded. "Any friend of Axel's is a friend of mine!"

Axel and Roxas high fived above Xestra's head as she rolled her eyes. "Boys…" she said, taking another bite of her ice cream.

"Keyblade wielders…" Axel shot back.

Xestra and Axel turned to look at Roxas, expecting him to chime in. He paused thoughtfully and looked at them. "Love birds," he finally said in the most annoyed voice he could conjure. He added an over exaggerated eye roll for effect, and the three laughed and continued eating their ice cream as the sun set on that day.


	7. Rainbows

**_Chapter Seven~ Rainbows_**

____A large flower that seems to be burning,  
____It'll bloom with you  
_____A cocktail of neon  
______A world through the glass  
_______You and I are partners in crime  
________We don't need anything else_

_~Rainbows, Alice Nine_

* * *

As Xestra lay down to sleep that night, she kept saying over and over again that she wouldn't have any more bad dreams. She just wanted more dreams that could tell her who she and Axel were.

She slowly closed her eyes, and found that her dreams seemed to be listening to her plea.

* * *

_Roxas was the first thing Xestra saw in the unfamiliar area. There were large trees everywhere, but upon closer examination, she realized they were large mushrooms._

_There were flowers just as large as the mushrooms everywhere, and even larger boulders. She couldn't help but wonder whether they were very large, or she was very small, but she immediately put this out of her head – how could she have gotten smaller?_

"_Roxas!" she said, running over to him._

"_Hey Xestra," he greeted with a smile. "Why are we here?"_

_When Xestra reached him, she shrugged. "I don't even know where we are…"_

_Roxas shrugged. "Beats me…"_

_Xestra gave him a big smile; finally she wasn't the only one who didn't understand what was going on._

_Suddenly a little black creature appeared; it wore a pink outfit with an unfamiliar symbol on it, and a little yellow hat that curled at the top. Roxas went in front of Xestra to protect her as his Keyblade appeared in his hands._

"_Xestra get back, it's a Heartless," Roxas said, readying himself to attack._

"_That's a Heartless?" Xestra inquired. There were apparently many different types of Heartless._

_Roxas slowly nodded his head. Xestra made her Keyblade appear in her own hand, and moved over to stand next to Roxas. "I can help," she said._

_Roxas gave her a quick smile. "Just be careful."_

_Xestra nodded before turning her attention to the Heartless, which danced in front of them._

_Roxas leapt forward first, striking the Heartless. It spun in circles, making some kind of squeaking sound, and then continued to dance around them._

_Xestra hit it once then turned around and struck it again. It spun, and spun and spun before dancing again._

"_Why does it keep dancing?" Xestra asked as her and Roxas looked for the next opportunity to strike._

_Roxas shrugged. "Maybe that's how it attacks?"_

"_Well, it doesn't seem to be doing anything…"_

_Suddenly a purple smoke began coming off of the Heartless as it advanced toward the two Keyblade wielders._

"_What is that smoke?" Xestra asked, backing away from it._

"_I'm not sure, but chances are it's not good for us…"_

_They began to run away, but the Heartless soon caught up with them, exposing them to the smoke. Xestra could feel her energy slowly decrease, and when she tried to attack, she couldn't seem to land any attacks._

_She saw an opening from the smoke, and, grabbing Roxas' hand, she pulled them both away. The Heartless didn't seem to notice they weren't in front of it anymore, and Xestra and Roxas took this opportunity to breath in the fresh air._

"_Thanks…" Roxas said, giving Xestra a weak smile._

"_No problem," she said, noticing Roxas looked a little spent. "How long have you been here? Before I got here, I mean."_

_Roxas thought back. "Quite a while…there were other types of Heartless, but this is the first pink one I've seen…"_

_Xestra frowned. She knew she had to take this thing on alone so Roxas didn't overdo it and end up getting hurt. She pointed her Keyblade at Roxas, and said in a stern voice, "Roxas, get to where you can be safe. I'll take care of the Heartless."_

_She smiled, knowing he knew her stern voice wasn't serious, but that her words were. He nodded in understanding, and took shelter on a high mushroom. "If it takes you down, I'll come back to help you!" he shouted._

_Xestra looked up at him. "How do you know I won't beat him!?" she yelled back._

_Roxas smiled, but said nothing. Xestra turned her attention back to the Heartless, who finally noticed they weren't within its smoke. It turned to see Xestra, Keyblade in hand, preparing to attack._

_The purple smoke ceased, and it began dancing again. Xestra wasted no time and began a series of attacks on the Heartless. It made musical sounds as it spun, but Xestra did not quit. She was going to finally defeat a big Heartless without being saved by anyone._

_The Heartless was at its end as Xestra struck the final blow. She jumped up and hit the Heartless, leaving nothing but a puff of smoke that slowly disappeared._

"_Are you okay, Roxas?" she yelled as she looked up._

_When she found the mushroom, her eyes saw nothing but that – a mushroom. No Roxas._

"_Roxas?" she said, looking on the tops of other mushrooms. Still nothing._

"_I'm late! I'm late! The Queen will not be happy!" she heard someone yell in the distance._

_Suddenly a white rabbit ran by her, a gold watch in his hand._

A rabbit…?_ Xestra thought to herself. _How odd… _"Mr. Rabbit, sir!" Xestra called out._

_The rabbit turned for a moment to see her, but said, "I'm sorry, I cannot talk now! I am late!"_

_Xestra ran to catch up to him. "Late for what?"_

"_Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…"_

_Xestra gave up on him actually answering her question, and resolved to just follow him; she found this to be very difficult, because she was not as fast as he was._

"_Xestra? Xestra, where are you?" she suddenly heard a voice call out._

_It was Axel's. She continued running but at a slower pace._

"_Axel?" she said, looking around for the source of the voice. "Where are you?"_

"_Where am I? How about where are you?" he replied._

"_I'm…not sure where I am…but I need to follow the white rabbit, I'll be right back!" she said._

"_Please hurry! We need to get out of here."_

_Xestra was going to ask why, but she continued running, increasing her speed to catch up with the rabbit who had walked through the door that was ahead of her._

_She slowly opened the door and found herself watching some kind of assembly. The woman in charge wore a dress that was a combination of red and black on top, and yellow and black on bottom, a little yellow crown on her black hair, and a heart on a stick, which Xestra assumed was supposed to be a sceptre, was in her hand. Xestra took the crown on her head as a symbol that she was supposed to be the Queen._

_There were many cards standing around, awaiting her orders. She unveiled the cage next to her, and a blonde girl with a blue dress stood in the cage._

"_How do you plea?" the woman with the sceptre asked the girl in the blue dress._

"_I haven't done anything!" the girl protested._

"_LIAR!" the woman shouted. "Off with her head!"_

_The cards cheered; they wanted to make the Queen happy._

"_No…please!" the girl in the blue dress protested. "What have I done?"_

_As the Queen thought, Xestra heard Axel's voice again, but in a whisper. "Xestra, who is that?"_

_Xestra's attention was solely on the girl when she made her response, "Oh, that's Alice…I'm waiting for the right moment to help her out."_

"_You know her?"_

_Xestra paused, realizing she did know her. But…how did she know her? The more she found out, the more questions there seemed to be._

"_I do know her…but I don't know how…"_

_Suddenly a different voice said, "You don't know? Curious, since you two are friends."_

_Xestra looked up to see a purple striped cat on the top of the door. This cat had a giant smile on his face. "We're friends?" Xestra repeated._

_The cat's smile never left his face as he spoke. "Oh, but of course."_

"_How do you know that? Do I know you, too?"_

_The cat paused and stood upside down on his head. "Does anyone actually _know _anyone? Friends, or enemies, or both?"_

_Xestra looked at the cat in confusion. Was he trying to play games with her head? To get answers from him, she'd have to ask specific questions, ones that he couldn't possibly wriggle his way out of. "I guess you could say that we never know anyone, really. But are you and I acquaintances? Have we had the pleasure of meeting before now?"_

_The cat's smile seemed to grow larger, if that was possible. "That we are, my dear Xestra. More or less."_

More or less?_ Xestra thought to herself. _So we're either friends or enemies… _"Tell me, Mr…"_

"_Cheshire," he said, taking off his ears, and bowing his head in a gentleman-like manner. "Cheshire Cat."_

"_Mr. Cheshire," she said. "Tell me this: when I first met you, was I with a man? Did I look similar to how I do now? How long have I known you?"_

"_Hm…so many questions, so little time. A man, you say? Who would this man be?"_

"_His name is Axel…"_

"_I know not of any Axel, do you?"_

"_If not Axel…Lea?"_

_The Cheshire Cat paused, and continued to smile at her. "I have heard that name before, but I have heard many names before. Tell me, Xestra, who are you?"_

"_I am the person you know me to be, but, then again, I'm a different person all together," Xestra said. "What about you, Mr. Cheshire? You are obviously the same…'person' you've always been, but who exactly is that person?"_

"_You are a different person? My, my, that can't be true. This man is still with you," he said, pointing one of his paws next to Xestra._

_Xestra turned to see Axel next to her._

"_Axel!" she exclaimed, giving him a hug. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Coming to get you," he replied, bringing her closer to him as she hugged him. "The Queen of Hearts will find us if we don't leave soon."_

"_Queen of Hearts? Oh, that mean lady out there…she's got Alice! We have to go save her!"_

"_Can you save her? Dear Xestra, she has already been taken away. It is too late to save the 'Princess' of Wonderland."_

"_But…I have to do something…please, Cheshire, can you help?"_

_Cheshire stood on his bottom paws again, and one of his front paws under his chin as if he was thinking about it._

"_He can't help you, Xestra," Axel said. "Like he said, she's already been taken away."_

"_But she's right out there!" Xestra said, pointing at the door._

"_Is she?" Cheshire asked._

_Xestra looked out the door again and saw the assembly hall was empty. "Alice! No…we have to go find her!"_

_Cheshire jumped off of the door and landed in front of Xestra and Axel. "It is too late to save her right now, as all of this is from you memories," he said, his smile a little smaller than it had been. "But there is still hope. Or at least, you may perceive it as hope. You must find the connection that will help you find her, and the rest. You may be helping more than dear Alice on your journey."_

"_Alright…" Xestra said with a determined look on her face. "But…what is the connection?"_

"_What is the connection? Who is the connection? Where is the connection? You must find these out. Or is it just one?"_

"_I think it's all three…someone must know…I'll ask around, and figure that out. Is that all I should know?"_

_The Cheshire Cat, his smile forever remaining on his face, was only able to give her a sincere look of encouragement in his eyes. "You know who you are, you know who everyone is, you just need to find your way. The connection is all that connects you to Alice and Wonderland, but there is another that connects you to all your other memories. He has been there in every memory that you have, including this one. But who is it? Well, it's not that hard to figure out the answers you already know."_

_Xestra nodded, trying to memorize his words. "Am I the same as you have always known me, Cheshire?"_

_The Cheshire Cat began disappearing, on stripe at a time. "Is anyone ever the same as they always have been? No, I must admit there is something different about you. You are missing something very important, besides your memories. Something about you has changed."_

"_Is that a bad thing?" Xestra asked. She knew he must mean her heart._

_The Cheshire's smile curled up at the edges as half of his stripes were gone. "That's not for me to say. You seem to be as you were when we were first acquainted. Take that as you will."_

_His stripes were all gone by that point, and all that was left was his white smile._

"_See you in reality, Xestra," the smile said, and then disappeared all together._

_Xestra turned to Axel and hugged him again. Axel happily hugged her back then brought her face to look up to him. "Ready to go?"_

_Xestra nodded her head and took Axel's hand in her own. They began walking past the assembly hall and into more areas surrounded by shrubs._

_The Cheshire Cat had talked about the connection to all her other memories was with her then. She knew it was Axel. Or a man named Lea, which somehow was connected to Axel. But she'd wait a while before she asked Axel about it. Maybe she would come up with the answer on her own._

* * *

Slowly the image of her and Axel walking together began to fade, and she opened her eyes to see the white ceiling in her little white room.

She looked to her left, but didn't see Axel there like she hoped. On her small desk, she saw a new puzzle piece. After walking over to it, she saw Alice and the Cheshire cat on the piece. She placed it in the box with the rest, and closed the lid.

She checked Roxas and Axel's rooms, but they were both out. She walked in the direction she thought the Grey Area she had first arrived at was in, and eventually, by some miracle, found it.

Saïx was by the window, and Roxas was sitting on one of the couches with Axel. They stopped talking when Xestra walked in, and they stood up.

"Hey sleepy head," Axel greeted. "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine…you already know what I dreamed about, I guess," she said with a smile. "Hello Roxas."

"Hey Xestra," Roxas said, smiling. "You and I are partners for today's mission."

"Really?" Xestra said excitedly. "That's great! …wait, what mission?"

She was excited that she was going to be with one of her friends, but she hadn't been introduced to the idea of a 'mission'.

"We've got to go defeat some Heartless. That's today's mission, anyway. Are you ready to go?"

Xestra nodded her head.

"Then let's go talk to Saïx," he said, walking over next to Xestra.

Xestra turned to Axel. "What's your mission?"

"Recon," he said in a bored tone.

"Be careful…okay?" she said, still unsure of what 'recon' was. Maybe it was even worse than defeating Heartless.

"There is nothing dangerous about it, don't worry. You're the one with the more dangerous mission."

Xestra waved her hand dismissively. "Roxas and I are partners in crime," she said. "We can handle anything."

Roxas gave her a reassuring nod. "Did Axel expect anything less?"

"I think he did…"

Roxas turned to glare at Axel. "We'll show you…"

"Is that a challenge?" Axel asked, raising an eye brow.

"I believe so. Whoever gets their mission done first buys ice cream from the other."

"Does that mean I get _two _when you guys lose?"

Xestra and Roxas exchanged glances before nodding their heads.

Axel laughed. "This is perfect! I'll get two sea salt ice creams, _and _I get to beat two Keyblade wielders. This'll be fun," he said.

"Come on, Xestra, we've got to beat this hot head," Roxas said, leading her to Saïx.

Xestra looked at Axel, who walked forward and kissed her forehead. "Be careful, alright?" he said in a concerned tone.

Xestra smiled and nodded. "You be careful, too. Try not to be too upset when we beat you," she said before walking over to Roxas.

Axel shook his head and smiled. "We'll see about that."

"Roxas, Xestra, are you two ready for your mission?" Saïx asked.

After getting the okay by both Keyblade wielders, Saïx told them to go to work.

Roxas opened a portal and stepped through. Xestra turned to see Axel opening his own portal before looking at her. She waved to him and he waved back. Then they both walked through their own portals, leaving Saïx alone in the Grey Area to further ponder Axel's role in Xestra's life.

* * *

After walking out of the portal, Xestra found herself once again in Wonderland. "Our mission is in Wonderland?" she asked.

Roxas gave her a surprised look. "You've been here?"

"Yeah, I think so," she said, looking around the assembly area they had appeared in. "Cheshire, are you here?"

"Cheshire?" Roxas repeated.

Suddenly the Cheshire Cat appeared on the ground in front of them, all his purple stripes intact, as well as his large, white grin. "You called?"

Xestra picked him up and hugged him. "Thank you very much for helping me, Mr. Cheshire Cat."

Cheshire looked up at Xestra with a confused smile. "Xestra, I did not help you at all. I simply gave you the assurance that you knew where you were going, as well as a few pieces of the puzzle."

"That still is a lot," she said, smiling.

She set him down on the ground and he looked up at her. "Good luck with the shadowy creatures you seek," he said, slowly disappearing again. "And good luck to you, Xestra, my friend."

He disappeared and Xestra smiled. "So we are friends…" she said quietly.

"You know him?" Roxas asked.

Xestra nodded. "He's an old friend…"

Roxas shook his head. "That cat is the craziest and most confusing cat I've ever met. I can't believe he was giving you straightforward answers…"

"Maybe it's the kind of questions you ask that can get you the answers you're looking for," Xestra said with a shrug.

"That makes sense…" Roxas said thoughtfully.

"Let's hurry, my partner in crime! We won't beat Axel by standing around here!" Xestra said.

"You're right!" Roxas agreed. "Let's go get those Heartless and beat that red head!"

"Alright!" Xestra said.

The two ran through Wonderland, looking for Heartless, and thinking about the free ice cream they would get after.


	8. Snow Scene

**_Chapter Eight~ Snow Scene_**

___The time and places we spent together  
____You disappear from my words and actions  
_____You've become something important to me  
______I realized it after we seperated  
_______Back then I loved love, right  
________But now I can hold my head high  
_________and say that I like you

_Snow Scene, Antic Cafe_

* * *

"I still think he cheated," Xestra muttered to Roxas as they sat in the Grey area.

It was the day after the bet and Axel had, by some miracle or help Xestra was sure, beaten them to the Clock Tower the day before, leaving the two Keyblade wielders to be subjected to Axel's bragging throughout the afternoon, as well as forced to buy him ice cream. They made a bet and he won, Axel repeated several times. Even so, that still didn't help.

"We'll just have to expose him," Roxas said. "We'll find evidence, don't worry."

Xestra nodded and glared at Axel who entered the room.

"Now I'm getting glared at? Sheesh," Axel said, rubbing the back of his head. "Kids these days."

He added an eye roll which made Roxas and Xestra smile a little, though they tried to hide it.

"How did you sleep?" Axel asked as he took the couch next to Xestra.

"I slept fine, thanks," Roxas said.

He knew Axel was asking Xestra, but he still liked to be included.

"Oh, that's wonderful, Roxas. Thanks so much for sharing that," Axel said sarcastically.

He smiled at Roxas who returned it with a smile of his own.

"Well, not that anyone cares, but I slept fine, too," Xestra said. "Just throwing it out there."

"That's nice," Axel and Roxas said in synch, acting like they were uninterested.

Xestra let out a soft laugh. The two of them made her smile more and more every day.

"Dream about anything interesting?" Axel asked curiously.

"No…not that remember…" Xestra said sadly.

She had hoped she would dream about something else that might help her remember something, anything, but it was a dreamless sleep. This truth was cemented when she woke up to find no new puzzle piece on her table. Axel must have been disappointed.

"Huh…that's weird," Roxas said. "I dreamt a lot last night, for the first time in a while. It's always about that same kid…"

"Kid?" Xestra asked. "What kid?"

"I don't know his name, but I used to dream about him a lot, and then the dreams stopped for a while. They just started again last night, I guess," Roxas said, rubbing the back of his head with a weak smile. "Weird, huh?"

Xestra smiled and leaned back on the couch. "I have had dreams about a bunch of people I don't even know, but should know, so don't worry about it," she said as she pat his shoulder.

"Oh, I guess that is worse…"

Axel waved his hand dismissively. "You two are just crazy. I hope it's just a Keyblade thing…and that it's not contagious…"

Xestra and Roxas replied with glares.

"I wonder where Saïx is…" Axel said, looking around. "He's usually out here before I even wake up…"

"Maybe he slept in?" Xestra guessed, but the doubtful looks from Axel and Roxas made her rethink her answer. "Maybe he's…playing hooky…"

"I think he'd sleep in before he played hooky," Roxas said. "Saïx loves the work too much to miss even a day."

Axel nodded in agreement. "I bet he's talking with Xemnas or something."

Just then Saïx walked in and took his normal position by the window as he did every day.

"Looks like nothing out of the ordinary happened," Roxas whispered.

"I bet Axel's right, and he just took a little long talking to Xemnas," Xestra whispered back. "Should we go get our missions now?"

"Probably," Axel said, looking at Saïx who was eyeing the group curiously. "I think he's is on to us…"

Xestra and Roxas looked over to meet eyes with Saïx, too.

"You're right…" Roxas said, cautiously getting up.

Xestra and Axel followed suit and walked behind Roxas over to Saïx.

He looked at the trio with his normal cold expression. "Roxas, you are to go to Agrabah to collect hearts. Axel, your mission is in Wonderland to track down and defeat the Neoshadow that has appeared. Xestra, you are to accompany Marluxia to Neverland for heart collection," he instructed.

The three nodded and walked back over to the couches to say goodbye.

"Be careful," Axel cautioned, giving Xestra a worried look. "Don't listen to anything Marluxia says, okay?"

Xestra gave him a quizzical look. "What would he say to me?"

Axel paused and thought better than to say anything more to Xestra on the matter. "Just…remember that, okay?" he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "And remember to meet us at the Clock Tower after."

"Thanks mom," Xestra said with a smile.

Axel smiled at her, but it wasn't as sincere as she wanted it to be; Marluxia couldn't be that bad…could he?

"Speaking of him," Roxas said under his breath as Marluxia entered the Grey Area.

He turned and saw Xestra. "Ready to go?" he asked with a smile.

Xestra nodded her head and looked at Axel. "Have fun on your mission," she said, trying to comfort him. "I'll see you both very soon."

Axel and Roxas smiled and opened their own portals, just as Marluxia did. Xestra gave Axel one more small wave before walking through the portal behind Marluxia.

"What did you mean when you said for her not to listen to Marluxia?" Roxas asked quietly.

Axel stared at the empty space that Marluxia's portal had been. "Nothing, Roxas…don't worry about it."

Roxas gave him a pleading look; he wanted to know.

Axel shook his head as if he was shaking out the thoughts and turned to Roxas with a smile. "Just kidding. I just know if she's around Marluxia for a long time, she may go insane," he said quickly.

Roxas nodded and smiled back. "I guess that'd make sense. I'm worried now, too."

"Don't be. She'll be fine," Axel said.

Roxas seemed to be happy with his reply and walked through his portal. But Axel didn't feel as though those words were true.

He didn't know if she'd be fine.

He'd just have to wait and see.

Sighing he walked through his smoky black and purple portal, his thoughts too wrapped around Xestra to notice Saïx's stare, accompanied by his thoughtful face.

_What could Marluxia be planning…?_

* * *

The sight of Neverland was breathtaking.

There were big grey boulders surrounded by a seemingly never ending deep blue ocean. In the distance, Xestra saw a ship – a pirate ship, maybe? – and there were trees and bushes on the boulder-based island she first stepped on behind Marluxia.

"Wow…" she said unable to keep in her amazement.

Marluxia turned to her and smirked. "You like the view?"

Xestra nodded and continued looking around. "I've never seen somewhere like this…it's beautiful."

"It doesn't have enough flowers for my taste, but it's not too bad," he replied.

Xestra smiled and her Keyblade appeared in her right hand. "Ready to go collect hearts?"

Marluxia smirked again as a giant pink, white and green scythe appeared in his hand. "Ready whenever you are."

Just as he spoke the last word, a trio of Heartless, similar to the ones in Wonderland, appeared and began circling the two.

Xestra and Marluxia readied themselves and began their attack.

* * *

As Axel dealt the final blow to the Neoshadow, who disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, he wondered how Xestra was doing.

"Worried about your friend, I see?" a voice came from behind him.

Axel turned to see the Cheshire Cat grinning up at him. He floated up and sat on an imaginary chair at Axel's eye level.

Axel gave him a look of indifference.

"In her dream, she introduced you as Axel. But are you Axel? Or are you of another name?" he asked.

"I'm Axel," he said, starting to walk away.

The Cheshire Cat, floating on his imaginary chair, followed him.

"Why so cold to a friend?"

"We're friends?" Axel asked with a smirk.

The Cheshire Cat gave out a soft laugh. "That's a matter of opinion. A friend is a friend who can be an enemy, who also can be the friend of a friend, or an enemy of a enemy. Which are you?"

"I'm the friend of a friend, I guess," Axel said and paused before speaking again. "Xestra doesn't remember anything. We have to help her."

The Cheshire Cat nodded his head, which promptly fell off and began floating on its own as it asked, "But how can we help what we do not understand?"

Axel placed his hand on his chin as he thought. "She has the memories somewhere, but for some reason she can't get to them. Maybe it has to do with her Somebody that turned into a Heartless…"

"A Heartless, you say?" the Cheshire Cat asked as he pointed to another Neoshadow that appeared before the two.

Axel sighed and glared at Cheshire. "I thought you said we were friends…"

The Cheshire cat put his head back on his body and his grin grew. "You are a friend of a friend, so what does that really make you?" he asked as he disappeared.

Axel clenched his teeth as he readied his red and silver Chakrams in both hands. "That cat's going to make me late for ice cream…"

He waited for the Heartless to come a little closer before he shot fire at it, igniting it. The Heartless fell back a little from the impact, but soon got in position to fight back.

Axel, with a large, sinister smile, began creating flames in front of him and putting them together. Just as the Heartless jumped forward to attack, he released the collection of flames, which hit the Heartless head on.

Axel's black boots walked through the charred remains of the Heartless as he made his way back to the portal from where he first arrived, a smile of satisfaction took shape on his lips.

* * *

"Do you see yourself as loyal to the Organization?" Marluxia asked as he and Xestra made their way back to the portal.

"I don't know…I've only been here for a few days…" Xestra said, confused at such a question.

"But do you think you'll become more loyal as you stay here longer?"

Xestra shrugged. "I'm just here to figure out who I am."

"And after that?"

"I'll probably stay with the Organization; I want a heart just like everyone else," Xestra said, though she hadn't really thought of the future.

"So, you'll go with whoever can give you a heart?" Marluxia asked.

Xestra paused. It seemed like he was hinting at something, and trying to get her to answer a certain way, but she didn't know what.

As she learned from the Cheshire Cat, she had to be careful about her words, and, using them cleverly or in questions, she could get the answers she needed while not giving out any information.

She didn't want to give any for sure answers, just in case she was in favor for what he was planning, whatever it was.

Maybe it could be something good?

After checking his malicious smile, she guessed it was going to turn out badly for someone.

"I guess that would depend on the way I'd obtain the heart," she said with a nonchalant shrug. "I mean, I can't just go take one. We have to complete Kingdom Hearts to get our own. And Xemnas promises us that is what we will get, right?"

"Indeed that is. Does that mean you'll follow Xemnas no matter what?"

"He's the head of the Organization, right? So…yeah, I guess. As long as Axel and Roxas stay, I'll stay."

Her response must have been what he was looking for, because he smiled a little bit bigger and didn't speak for the rest of the walk to the portal, and Xestra certainly wasn't going to give him an excuse to keep asking her questions.

She welcomed the silence over questions that had hidden meanings behind them.

_**Secrets don't make friends…**_

* * *

Xestra was the last to arrive at the Clock Tower, the ice cream she had come to love in hand.

She walked over to her two best friends who sat just far enough apart to leave a space for her between them. "How was work you two?" she asked as she sat down and took a bite of her ice cream.

"Nothing interesting to report," Roxas said, dusting off his boots with his free hand. "Just a very, very sandy mission."

Xestra turned to Axel who shook his head. "Same here."

"I guess it is hard to have fun on a mission…" Xestra said a little crestfallen.

"How did your mission with Marluxia go?" Axel asked curiously.

He looked intently at Xestra as she made her response, "We finished the mission fine…but…"

"But…?" Axel prompted her.

Roxas looked over at her as Xestra thought.

"He…kept asking me all of these weird questions. Like if I'm 'loyal' to the Organization and to Xemnas, and what I'm going to do after I found out who I am…whether I'll stay with the Organization, that is. I was caught off guard…"

Axel tightened his grip on his ice cream. "And what did you say?" he asked, trying to keep his cool.

"I told him I'd stay with the Organization as long as you two did…"

"That's a true best friend," Roxas said with a smile.

Xestra smiled back and turned to Axel who smiled, too.

"Did I…answer correctly?" Xestra asked, a little worried.

"You answered how both of us wanted you to answer, but did you answer how you wanted to answer?" Axel asked.

Xestra nodded. "I really will go wherever you two go."

"What happens if we split up?" Axel asked.

Roxas laughed. "We're best friends. Why would we leave each other?"

"Roxas is right. We all should promise never to leave," Xestra said.

"And we should also keep this conversation about Marluxia a secret from the rest of the Organization, okay? Just for now," Axel said.

The two Keyblade wielders looked at him a little puzzled, but didn't question it; Axel had his reasons.

They all put out their pinkies and hooked them together in a three-person pinkie swear.

…_**but friends make secrets.**_


	9. Darkwave Surfer

**_Chapter Nine ~ Darkwave Surfer_**

____The darkness is calling you  
______Ask the darkness to dance with you  
_____Your aimless life  
______Being thrown around by the light of heaven_

_~Darkwave Surfer, Aural Vampire_

* * *

As Xestra lay on her bed, she stared at the ceiling, wondering about what she was going to dream about. She was worried she wouldn't dream of anything like the night before, which made her anxious.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. All the worrying wasn't getting her any closer to sleeping.

Her little white room was covered in shadows from the dark scene outside her window.

Swinging her feet around her bed, she adjusted her black robe and stood up. She quietly walked past Axel's quiet room, slightly crestfallen.

_Why am I the only one who can't sleep…? _She thought sadly as she began making her way through the castle.

She arrived in the Grey Area, and found it to be completely silent; the only sounds came from her long black boots against the floor. Walking over to the window where Saïx normally stood, she sat on the floor and looked up at Kingdom Hearts in the sky.

It was bright and beautiful; the contrast between it and the dark sky surrounding it made such a fact even more noticeable.

As she stared at it, she placed her hand over where her heart should be. She didn't feel the rhythmic pattern of a heartbeat that she wanted to; even though she had known for several days of her status of being a Nobody, she couldn't seem to accept it.

Bringing her knees to her chest, she put her arms around her legs and hugged them closer.

She just wanted to feel something, even if those feelings hurt her. Anything was better than emptiness.

Just then she heard someone's footsteps as they entered the Grey Area.

When they sat on her right, she turned her head and realized it was Axel.

"Oh, Axel…" she said surprised. "I thought you were sleeping…"

Axel smiled. "And I thought _you _were sleeping, but I guess we were both wrong."

Xestra gave him a weak smile and looked back up at Kingdom Hearts. Axel's smile faded.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah…I'm just thinking…"

"About how you don't have a heart?"

When Xestra didn't answer, Axel frowned.

"Does that worry you?"

Xestra shrugged. "I can't feel anything…"

Axel put a reassuring arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. "None of us can, but once we finish Kingdom Hearts we'll feel all kinds of things."

As she listened to his encouraging words, she thought she felt a glimmer of hope.

"Yeah, you're right…" she said. "Thanks Axel."

Axel's smile reappeared. "Got it memorized?"

Xestra nodded and yawned. Suddenly she was very tired.

"Looks like it's time for bed," Axel said with a grin.

"Not yet…" Xestra said, yawning again.

"Oh? You look pretty tired to me."

She felt herself falling toward him, and stop as she leaned against his shoulder.

"No, I'm fine…" she said through another yawn.

Glancing up at Axel, she gave him a weak smile, and then, staring into his emerald green eyes, fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

_The first thing Xestra noticed when she opened her eyes were snow covered trees above her._

_She sat up and realized she was sitting on grass that was also snow covered. Rubbing her head, she checked her surroundings, wondering where she was, and why it was so familiar._

_It seemed like it was the same place in her dream a few days before, but at the same time, it was completely different._

_The sun was out, shining a bright light over all of the snow, which sparkled, and, in the distance, she saw a small town, bustling with excitement._

_She stood up, brushed herself off, and noticed the scarf she had last time was not around her neck._

_Figuring it wasn't a big deal, she shrugged it off and made her way toward the happiness just a few minutes away._

* * *

_When Xestra arrived in the town, she was surrounded by people talking excitedly about the upcoming holiday, and about whom they were buying gifts for._

_The sidewalks, rooftops and streetlights were covered in glistening snow; people everywhere were wearing warm jackets and hats, holding the arms of the people next to them for extra warmth._

_Xestra smiled at people who waved at her; whether she knew them or not, she didn't know, but she didn't want to be rude._

_She turned around a corner and came upon a small restaurant. She felt her stomach and realized she was slightly hungry._

_Checking the pockets of her long skirt, she found she had a wallet with just enough munny to buy herself something to eat._

_She opened the door, to which a bell made a 'cling' noise, and a young woman with long, black hair smiled at her._

"_Your table is right over there, ma'am," she said, pointing to the other side of the restaurant._

"_My table…?" Xestra repeated, following her outstretched finger._

_It was then that she saw a guy with red hair, around her age, looking out the window behind him._

"_Thank you…" she said to the woman before walking over to the table._

_When she reached the table, she stood there awkwardly, waiting for him to turn around. When he didn't, she cleared her throat and said, "…Axel?"_

_He jumped a little and turned to meet eyes with her._

"_Hey, you finally made it!" he said standing up and pulling out a chair for her. "I was afraid I would have to come look for you in the freezing cold."_

_Xestra smiled a little. "What's going on here?" she asked._

_He suddenly looked crestfallen. "Aw, are you saying you don't remember? Darn, I thought it was finally official…"_

"_What was finally official…?"_

"_Us," he said with a weak smile._

"_Us…" she repeated. "What do you mean, Axel?"_

"_Axel? You mean, you don't even remember my name now?" he asked as he pouted. "This date is getting worse and worse by the minute…"_

"_Date?" Xestra repeated, feeling the blush that was appearing on her face. "We're on a date?"_

_The boy nodded and rested his chin on his palm. "Yeah, I mean, it was supposed to be."_

"_And it's not anymore?"_

"_Not if you don't think so…"_

"_Well, what if I do think so?"_

_He smiled hopefully. "That'd be nice, I mean, if you really want it to be…"_

"_I do…" she replied quietly. "Lea."_

_His smile broadened. "So you _do _remember my name? I knew you were just kidding. We've known each other for way too long to forget names."_

"_How long has it been, anyway?"_

"_As far back as I can remember," he said with a knowing smile. "We were both little kids when I came here…"_

"_Where were you before?"_

_Lea shrugged. "Who knows. But it doesn't matter. All that matters is that I'm here now, right?"_

_Xestra nodded. "Right."_

"_Alright, now that we've got that settled…" he said, handing her a menu. "What do you want to eat?"_

_Xestra gratefully took the menu, and looked through it, trying to decide what to get. "Let's see…there are so many choices…"_

_She looked up at Axel, who was staring at her with a smile. When she smiled back, he blushed and looked back down at his menu._

"_You're right, I don't know what to get either…"_

_Xestra giggled silently and hid her blushing face behind her menu._

"_Hey, Aster," Lea said quietly._

"_Yes, Lea?" Xestra said, responding to the familiar name._

"_I'm…really glad you came."_

"_Me, too, Lea."_

_The two looked over their menus to smile at each other, then went back to talking about what they were going to order._

* * *

_Walking close to each other, Xestra and Lea made their way to someplace he insisted was a surprise._

"_How do I know you're not leading me into a trap?" she asked suspiciously._

"_Darn, you got me," he said with a sarcastic shrug. "I almost had you, if it weren't for your smarts, and cunning nature…"_

"_Well, we're all blessed with talents," Xestra said with a fake cocky grin. "Yours is obviously coming up with plans that don't work…"_

_Lea turned and glared at her. "Well, you're still coming with me, so I guess my plans do work."_

_Xestra snapped. "Darn, now _you_ got _me._"_

_The two laughed and before them stood a giant fountain with frozen water inside. The sun glistened off of it, making it a beautiful sight._

"_Where are we?" Xestra asked, looking around._

"_We're at one of the first places we walked to when we first met," he said. "Don't tell me you forgot…"_

_Looking around, she felt like everything was so familiar…_

"_No, I didn't forget everything…" she said._

I just forgot most things…_ she thought to herself._

"_Good," he said before taking her hand and leading her to the fountain's edge._

_He sat down and guided her to sit down next to him. He pulled out a box from his bag, and handed it to her._

"_What's this?" Xestra asked._

"_I know it's early, but I wanted to make sure I gave this to you," he said with a smile._

"_Oh, Lea, I--"_

"_No need to thank me. It's what…friends do, right?"_

"_Friends…right," she said with a smile._

_She turned her attention to the box and, when she opened it, she found the blue and white scarf._

"_This is so pretty," Xestra said, taking it out of the box._

_Lea's eyes lit up. "You like it?"_

_Xestra smiled and nodded. "Of course."_

_Without thinking, she turned to the bag she had and handed him the box inside._

"_For me?" he asked surprised._

"_I…think so. I mean, the tag says it for you, anyway," she replied with a smile._

_He smiled, too, and opened the box. Inside was a necklace with a small, silver charm at the end of it. He held it closer to his face to examine it; the charm was in the shape of a heart, and had the words _Love Comes in Many Forms_._

"_Wow…" he said with a smile. "This present is way better than mine…"_

_Xestra put the scarf around her neck and shook her head. "No way, this scarf is totally better."_

_Lea shook his head. "It can't compare to this amazing necklace."_

"_So…you don't think it's too…girly?" Xestra asked before cringing._

"_Not at all. It's probably the manliest necklace I've ever seen," he said, putting it around his neck and smiling. "How does it look?"_

"_Perfect…it looks perfect, Lea."_

_His smile broadened. "Good…but now we'll have to argue about who looks better in their present," he said. "Because that scarf looks better than perfect on you; it brings out your pretty blue eyes."_

_Xestra blushed and avoided eye contact. "You think…? Thanks, Lea…"_

"_Of course. And thank you."_

"_Anything for you."_

_The two leaned forward and smiled just as their lips were about to touch…_

"Do you think she's going to wake up any time soon?"

"I don't know, she has been out for a while…"

Xestra heard the familiar voices of Roxas and Axel to her left, and realized the image of her and Lea was gone.

She opened her eyes and found herself in her little white room. She blinked and looked over at them.

"Good afternoon sleepy head," Axel greeted with a smile.

"Hey Xestra," Roxas added.

Xestra rubbed her head, laid back down and pulled her covers back over her head. "No, I have to go back!"

Axel and Roxas exchanged confused glances.

"Go back where?" Roxas asked.

"Sounds like someone had a good dream," Axel teased.

Xestra peeked up from her covers to glare at him.

"So it wasn't a good dream?"

Xestra pulled the covers down and stared at the ceiling, trying to take everything in from her dream. "It…was a good dream."

"That's good," Roxas said. "Looks like you dreamed for me."

Xestra turned her head to face him. "You didn't have any more dreams about that boy?"

Roxas shook his head and smiled. "It just makes things less confusing when I don't."

Xestra nodded her head. "I know what you mean…"

"Well, I'm going to go find out what my mission is. You guys coming?"

"We'll be there in a minute, Roxas," Axel said.

"Suit yourself," he replied with a quick wave before walking out of the room.

Xestra watched him leave and immediately turned to Axel. "We went on a date…"

Axel smiled. "Which one did you dream about?"

"Our…first one…but your name wasn't Axel, and mine wasn't Xestra…"

Axel nodded. "Axel and Xestra are our Nobody names."

"You mean our names change from when we had hearts?"

"Well, we're not exactly the same people," he said matter-of-factly.

Xestra nodded. "I guess so…" she said as she stood up and stretched.

Axel walked over to her and stood beside her as they started out the door.

"Why did you have to go back to your dream, anyway?" Axel asked with a smile.

Xestra paused and looked away, embarrassed. "I…don't remember."

"You don't, huh?" he asked suddenly stopping.

Xestra looked over at him curiously.

"So it didn't have anything to do with…anything at all?" he asked, his face inching toward hers.

"N-no…"

His face was just inches away from hers when he asked, "Are you sure?"

"Um, well, this is how it ended…" she said sadly.

"Just like this?"

"Uh-huh…"

"And you wanted it to continue?"

Xestra paused, unsure of how to answer.

Before she could, he took her chin in his hand, tilted it upwards, and briefly touched his lips against hers.

She blinked and he brought his face back to assess her reaction. When she gave a small smile, he leaned forward again for a slightly longer kiss.

When he leaned away, Xestra couldn't keep the smile that had formed on her face from leaving.

"Better?" he asked with a laugh.

Xestra, unable to answer, just nodded her head and followed him to the Grey Area for their daily mission.


End file.
